The defense funding package set for a vote at the end of July and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is warning that Congress would likely override a veto by President Trump if he declines to sign the huge defense funding legislation amid the dispute over renaming Army bases named for Confederate leaders.
While speaking with Iowa reporters on Monday, Grassley said he hoped Trump wouldnt veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), over military base renaming conflict.
“If it came to overriding a veto, wed probably override the veto,” Grassley told Iowa reporters. Grassley remarks were confirmed by a report in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.
“There shouldnt be a knee-jerk reaction to renaming bases. And I imagine that in my lifetime, theres been a lot of bases that have had their names changed. Im not aware of it. But the extent to which its a thoughtful process and not a knee-jerk reaction, I wouldnt have any objection to it,” Grassley told reporters.
Trump has warned that he will veto the bill over Sen. Elizabeth Warrens amendment to eliminate all confederate names from military bases and other assets over a three-year period from the passing of the NDAA.
“I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth Pocahontas Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won two World Wars, is in the Bill!” Trump said in a Tweet on June 30.
Earlier in June, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that the President opposes renaming military bases and other assets and she quoted a tweet from the President.
“[M]y Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!” she read.
“These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump also tweeted.
“The President will not be signing legislation that renames Americas forts, its important to note, you know Fort Bragg, for example, its one of the largest military installations. Its home to 10s of thousands of brave American soldiers. And when you think of Fort Bragg we think of the brave soldiers that deployed from there,” McEnany added.
Past efforts to rename military installations have stalled on the grounds that these places represent an American trRead More From Source
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