By Janelle Irwin Taylor
FloridaPolitics.com
December 26, 2020
Shortly after President Donald Trump vetoed the $732 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist called on Congress to override his veto.
The bill passed both the House and the Senate earlier this month with veto-proof super majorities. Congress can usurp the President’s action with another 2/3 majority vote.
“The United States Constitution was established in part to provide for the common defense. As the Representative from Florida’s 13th Congressional District, I understand that my job is to do all I can to keep Pinellas families safe. That’s why I was proud to join an overwhelming, bipartisan majority to pass this year’s defense bill,” Crist said.
“I struggle to make sense of why the Commander-in-Chief, in his final days in office, has taken this step, which does not support our national defense or our troops, during the holidays no less. It sends a dangerous message to our adversaries as our nation prepares for a presidential transition and grapples with the unprecedented Russian cyberattack on our government and our businesses. Congress must step up and override this veto — for our troops, for our values, for our security, and for the people.”
The National Defense Authorization Act calls for the U.S. to confront its adversaries including Russia, and China, by supporting allies, fully funding the European Deterrence Initiative and authorizing a $2.2 billion Pacific Deterrence Initiative to contain China. It also calls for a report on Russian bounties on U.S. service members.
The NDAA would also secure elections by allowing the State Department to offer rewards for information on foreign election interference.
Under the act, U.S. service members would receive a 3% pay raise and increased hazard pay of $275 a month.
The NDAA includes Crist’s own bill to protect Coast Guard retirement pay from future government shutdowns, the only military branch not to enjoy such protection.
In addition, the act provides benefits for veterans exposed to Agent Orange including by adding several medical conditions to those authorized for treatment.
The NDAA also contains provisions to update standards for military government housing, create a new Domestic Violence Task Force, allow victims of sexual harassment to make confidential reports outside their chain of command, report on restoring honor to veterans discharged from the military under the now defunct Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy an include VA employees in paid parental leave benefits provided other federal employees.
Likely angering the outgoing President, the bill included limits on how much money could be spent on his border wall. Trump had previously signaled he might veto the bill because it did not repeal a law that shields internet companies from liability based on what is posted on their websites.
“The Act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions. It is a ‘gift’ to China and Russia,” Trump wrote in a memo to Congress outlining his veto.
About the author: Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003. Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She formerly served as senior reporter for WMNF News.
Failing to mention that the President doesn’t want money going to political pork projects and foreign lands is absurd. Our money needs to stay in the hands of the American people. (Trim the Fat) Florida has 27 representatives and the Democrats are in the minority. As an objective writer, why would you even solicit an opinion from a washed up, political hack. Was a single fact even considered from what the majority of the people want? Will the Observer ever consider printing a conservative perspective? Just asking for a friend.
Mr. Smith, if the president did not want that pork he should not have included those items in the FY2021 budget HE submitted to Congress on February 10, 2020. Please get YOUR facts straight.
Dr., Try to keep up with the real facts. Although,. You are entitled to your own opinion. Cherry picking this time of years, is not good.
Mr. Smith, just because you say something is true does not make it so. So, let’s look at the facts.
FACT #1: In response to the article, you wrote, “Failing to mention that the President doesn’t want money going to political pork projects and foreign lands is absurd.”
FACT #2 : I did not deny that Trump expressed displeasure with such projects. I simply made the point, he HIMSELF had included these projects in his FY2021 budget request submitted to Congress on February 10, 2021. FYI, you can access the budget document, as I did, at whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/.
FACT #3: Without any evidence, you suggested these were not REAL facts. On what basis did you make that claim? You also accused me of “cherry picking.” What are you referring to?
FACT #4 : If you want to see cherry picking, let me refer you to the 00:31 mark in Trump’s video in which he castigates Congress for including foreign aid and money for the arts in the COVID relief bill. “This bill contains $85.5 million for assistance to Cambodia, $134 million to Burma, $1.3 billion for Egypt and the Egyptian military, which will go out and buy almost exclusively Russian military equipment. $25 million for democracy and gender programs in Pakistan, $505 million to Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. $40 million for the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which is not even open for business. $1 billion for the Smithsonian and an additional $154 million for the National Gallery of Art. Likewise, these facilities are essentially not open.”
FACT #5: As I wrote, each of these items are included in the budget request Trump submitted to Congress on February 10th. Cambodia (page 897). Burma (page 899). Egypt (page 893). Pakistan (page 899). Kennedy Center (page 1330). Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art (page 1331).
FACT #6: Trump seems to have forgotten Congress combined the COVID Relief Act and the Omnibus Budget Act, which funds the entirety of the federal government for the remainder of the current fiscal year. You can view the Act which is titled as the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,” not the COVID Relief Act as Trump wrongly claimed, at congress.gov/bil/116th-congress/house/133. The COVID Relief provisions are presented as Division M beginning on page 1823 through page 1923. NONE OF THE $900 BILLIONS AUTHORIZED IN DIVISION M FOR STIMULUS CHECKS, SUPPLEMENTAL AND EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, ANOTHER ROUND OF PAYROLL PROTECTION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, THE COST OF VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, ETC. WAS REDIRECTED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.
So, exactly what facts are you suggesting are not REAL? I am sorry but undocumented platitudes do not TRUMP (pun intended) the truth.