[House Document 116-174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




116th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 116-174

 
                       VETO MESSAGE ON H.R. 6395

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                     THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

     NOTIFICATION OF THE VETO OF H.R. 6395, THE ``NATIONAL DEFENSE 
                AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021''
                

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


               December 24, 2020.--Ordered to be printed
To the House of Representatives:

    I am returning, without my approval, H.R. 6395, the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (the 
``Act''). My Administration recognizes the importance of the 
Act to our national security. Unfortunately, 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.
    No one has worked harder, or approved more money for the 
military, than I have--over $2 trillion. During my 4 years, 
with the support of many others, we have almost entirely 
rebuilt the United States military, which was totally depleted 
when I took office. Your failure to terminate the very 
dangerous national security risk of Section 230 will make our 
intelligence virtually impossible to conduct without everyone 
knowing what we are doing at every step.
    The Act fails even to make any meaningful changes to 
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, despite 
bipartisan calls for repealing that provision. Section 230 
facilitates the spread of foreign disinformation online, which 
is a serious threat to our national security and election 
integrity. It must be repealed.
    Additionally, the Act includes language that would require 
the renaming of certain military installations. Over the course 
of United States history, these locations have taken on 
significance to the American story and those who have helped 
write it that far transcends their namesakes. My Administration 
respects the legacy of the millions of American servicemen and 
women who have served with honor at these military bases, and 
who, from these locations, have fought, bled, and died for 
their country. From these facilities, we have won two World 
Wars. I have been clear in my opposition to politically 
motivated attempts like this to wash away history and to 
dishonor the immense progress our country has fought for in 
realizing our founding principles.
    The Act also restricts the President's ability to preserve 
our Nation's security by arbitrarily limiting the amount of 
military construction funds that can be used to respond to a 
national emergency. In a time when adversaries have the means 
to directly attack the homeland, the President must be able to 
safeguard the American people without having to wait for 
congressional authorization. The Act also contains an amendment 
that would slow down the rollout of nationwide 5G, especially 
in rural areas.
    Numerous provisions of the Act directly contradict my 
Administration's foreign policy, particularly my efforts to 
bring our troops home. I oppose endless wars, as does the 
American public. Over bipartisan objections, however, this Act 
purports to restrict the President's ability to withdraw troops 
from Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea. Not only is this 
bad policy, but it is unconstitutional. Article II of the 
Constitution makes the President the Commander in Chief of the 
Army and Navy of the United States and vests in him the 
executive power. Therefore, the decision regarding how many 
troops to deploy and where, including in Afghanistan, Germany, 
and South Korea, rests with him. The Congress may not arrogate 
this authority to itself directly or indirectly as purported 
spending restrictions.
    For all of these reasons, I cannot support this bill. My 
Administration has taken strong actions to help keep our Nation 
safe and support our service members. I will not approve this 
bill, which would put the interests of the Washington, D.C. 
establishment over those of the American people. It is my duty 
to return H.R. 6395 to the House of Representatives without my 
approval.

                                                   Donald J. Trump.
    The White House, December 23, 2020.