WASHINGTON – President Trump’s veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has brought condemnation from both sides of the aisle, including members of New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation.
Trump’s threat came after lawmakers refused to include the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and moves to rename military installations after Confederate generals.
This year’s NDAA also includes help for military installations to clean up PFAS contamination and expand federal efforts to research the health implications of PFAS, $160 million for projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard which will allow it to continue playing a critical role in our nation’s military readiness, helping veterans and active duty family members from accessing military treatment facilities across the country, including in Portsmouth and pay raises for members of the military.
“At a time when our nation faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, President Trump’s reckless and irresponsible veto of the National Defense Authorization Act only serves to create more instability and hinder our ability to keep America safe,” said Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH). “The President’s veto hurts U.S. service members, puts our national security in jeopardy, and delays funding important initiatives, including cleaning up PFAS contamination at military sites like the former Pease Air Force Base. “
Pappas said he is eager to vote for an override of the president’s veto on Monday, as is U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee
“The President just denied our troops a well-deserved pay raise and deprived New England’s Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of significant federal investments. He also blocked important national security provisions to counter aggression from our adversaries like Russia and China and sabotaged other critical bipartisan measures that would safeguard our defense structures. All of this because he has a gripe with social media companies for holding him responsible for spreading disinformation on his social media platforms. This isn’t just shameful it is downright dangerous,” said Shaheen. “The Kremlin is actively attacking our cyber networks. Instead of standing up for our national security, the President is downplaying Russia’s involvement – which contradicts U.S. intelligence – and now he just vetoed legislation that contains actionable items that we can use to hold Putin accountable for this kind of belligerent behavior.”
This isn’t about politics; this is about the security of the United States and the safety of our men and women in uniform. We cannot allow that to be compromised by the President’s thin skin. Enough is enough,” she added.
The finalized version of the NDAA passed the Senate 84-13 on Dec. 11 and passed the House 335-78.
