The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Friday despite President Trump’s threat to veto the legislation once it arrives at the White House.
The bill was approved by a veto-proof margin of 84-16. On Tuesday the House passed the NDAA by a similar margin of over 80 percent of its members, with 140 Republicans joining 195 Democrats to approve the legislation.
The White House threatened to veto the legislation unless lawmakers added legislation to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and removed a section that mandates the renaming of Army bases named after Confederate figures.
The NDAA has been approved annually for the past 59 years, and the current legislation allocates roughly $740 billion in defense spending. Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) delayed the bill’s expected passage on Thursday, saying it does not give the president enough leeway to withdraw American troops from overseas deployment.
“The president should have the prerogative to end a war, not just to start wars,” Paul said on Friday.
In a break with the president, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated earlier this week that the NDAA would be approved. If Trump vetoes the bill, Congress could shorten its Christmas break in order to vote on a potential override.