WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after 322 members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to override President Trump’s veto of the bipartisan 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“This was a stinging rebuke of President Trump’s irresponsible attempt to use our servicemen and women as political pawns.  The Senate should follow suit and make it clear that Congress will put the common defense and the needs of our military personnel and their families above the President’s personal, partisan agenda.

“President Trump has already delayed critical care and benefits for our servicemembers and slowed the implementation of new authorities that would strengthen U.S. cyber defenses and check our adversaries.

“This is the same bill that garnered strong, bipartisan support from eighty-four Senators and not a single letter in it has changed.  The Senate got it right the first time and I implore my colleagues to put the safety and well-being of our country ahead of partisanship and override President Trump’s reckless veto.

“The Senate must override the veto because this bipartisan bill is critically important to our national defense and the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.

“This is a forward-looking bill that makes important investments and confronts future challenges.  President Trump is now a lame duck and his veto was more about him being upset by other issues that had nothing to do with national defense policy or priorities.”

The bipartisan NDAA was approved 335-78-1 by the U.S. House of Representatives and by a vote of 84-13 in the U.S. Senate.

Now that President Trump’s veto has been overridden by the House, the bill heads to the U.S. Senate and must also pass with a two-thirds majority in order for the NDAA to become law.