Will he or won’t he? Trump veto threat hangs over defense policy bill that’s a multi-pronged bipartisan rebuke

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SHOWDOWN AHEAD: Congress prepares to vote this week on the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act, which appears poised for passage by a comfortable bipartisan margin, in defiance of President Trump’s repeated veto threats.

“There’s nothing else on Capitol Hill that has gotten done for 60 years straight,” tweeted Republican Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, “That’s because this bill is the most important thing we’ll do all year.”

“This is not the exact bill that I would have written, but it is one I support wholeheartedly,” said outgoing Texas Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. “It provides the resources our troops need to accomplish their mission … I encourage my colleagues to support it.”

TRUMP: ‘I WILL VETO!’: Trump continues to threaten to veto the must-pass measure because of his displeasure with Section 230, a federal law that protects social media platforms from being sued for content on their sites. In a series of tweets, Trump called out Inhofe for failing to get the non-defense measure added at the last minute to the massive defense policy bill.

“Very sadly for our Nation, it looks like Senator @JimInhofe will not be putting the Section 230 termination clause into the Defense Bill,” Trump tweeted. “Last chance to ever get it done. I will VETO!”

“For the past four years, I’ve worked hand and hand with President Trump,” said Inhofe in a Friday statement. “The president knows that I agree with him 100% on the need for a full repeal of Section 230,” Inhofe explained. “It’s unfortunate that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle disagree … The only other option would mean that for the first time in 60 years, we would not have an NDAA,” meaning, he said, “troops would not get flight pay. They wouldn’t get hazard pay or any other specialty pay that requires annual authorization.”

A POCKET VETO? If the compromise NDAA is approved by roughly the same margins as the original bills were passed by the House and Senate, they would have more than enough votes to override a presidential veto.

“We have a bipartisan, bicameral agreement,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer last week, “and look forward to overwhelmingly passing both chambers … and if necessary, overriding a threatened veto.”

One possibility, however unlikely, is that Trump could attempt to kill the bill with a pocket veto, reports Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner chief congressional correspondent. Under the Constitution, if the president has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature, but if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, then the bill dies.

“House lawmakers plan to leave town next week, but at least one chamber of Congress is likely to hold pro forma sessions until it reconvenes the first week of January, avoiding a period of true adjournment,” reports Ferrechio. “If Trump chooses to veto the bill by [this] week, Congress may have time to vote to override it before leaving town for the year. The bill would then become law.”

BIPARTISAN REBUKE: The fiscal year 2021 NDAA has several provisions that directly overrule key Trump policies, including Trump’s vow to never allow the renaming of 10 Army bases that honor Confederate military leaders from the Civil War. “A provision is in the NDAA for the renaming, or even desecration, of National Monuments in National Parks. This is not what our Country wants!” Trump tweeted last week.

But the bill also attempts to slow Trump’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and block major troop reductions in Germany and South Korea.

The section on Afghanistan requires the submission of “a comprehensive, interagency report and certification,” before a drawdown of U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan below troop levels of 8,000 and 4,000. But it also says the defense secretary can waive the requirement if it is vital to national security.

Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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HAPPENING TODAY: It was on this day 79 years ago, in 1941, that Japanese bombers carried out a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, bombing and torpedoing ships that were caught tied up pierside, which began capsizing and sinking. The sneak attack killed 2,403 Americans, including 68 civilians.

“As torpedo bombers unleashed their deadly cargo on our ships and attack aircraft rained bombs from above, brave members of the United States Navy, Marines, Army, and Army Air Forces mounted a heroic defense, manning their battle stations and returning fire through the smoke and chaos,” said a White House proclamation marking National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

History recalls that troops at Pearl Harbor were learning how to use a new device called “radar” when they detected a large number of planes heading their way. Upon checking with a superior officer, they were told not to worry, the planes were probably American B-17s.

Adm. John Aquilino, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, will provide keynote remarks at today’s National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony. The event will be livestreamed on defense.gov at 12:50 a.m. EST.

Tonight at 6 p.m., the Institute of World Politics holds its annual Pearl Harbor Day Lecture via webinar on “How Not to Underestimate the Evolving Threat,” examining “the misapplication of new systems in run-up to conflict,” such as French and Russian pre-WWII misunderstanding of best employment of tanks and implications for U.S. force planning, with Dov Zakheim, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and senior fellow at the CNA Corporation. https://www.iwp.edu/events/webinar

MILLER TO INDO-PACOM: Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller left Saturday on a short trip to Indonesia, the Philippines, and a final stop at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii, where he will virtually participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

In Indonesia and the Philippines, Miller is meeting with his counterparts and other senior officials to discuss “the importance of the bilateral defense relationships and securing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” according to a Pentagon release.

ALSO TODAY: Retiring Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, will host his final press call as a member of Congress at 10 a.m.

SOMALIA PULLBACK: Late on Friday, the Pentagon confirmed what had been rumored for weeks. President Trump has ordered the “repositioning” of roughly 700 U.S. troops in Somalia to other countries in Africa, with most going to neighboring Kenya.

While “some forces may be reassigned outside of East Africa,” the Pentagon said in a statement, “The remaining forces will be repositioned from Somalia into neighboring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both U.S. and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia.”

“The U.S. is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa,” the statement said. “We will continue to degrade violent extremist organizations that could threaten our homeland while ensuring we maintain our strategic advantage in great power competition.”

DOD DENIES BLOCKING BIDEN TRANSITION TEAMS: Over the weekend, the Pentagon strongly denied reports that the Trump Pentagon was thwarting efforts by the Biden transition team to get timely intelligence updates by blocking meetings with key officials last week.

“The accusation by anonymous sources that DOD has not been fulfilling its commitment to professionally assist any of the Agency Review Teams is demonstrably false and patently insulting,” said the unattributed DOD statement. “Stories run in the last day fail to reflect the dozens of interviews and meetings that have taken place and the many dozens more that are planned in the coming weeks.”

On a conference call with reporters Saturday, two officials insisted any delay was caused by the Biden team requesting meetings directly from intelligence agencies instead of coordinated through the Pentagon, and that any confusion was quickly resolved.

Meetings are set for today and tomorrow with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency.

“The DOD and its transition leadership are fully cooperating with the Biden transition team, placing national security and the protection of the American people at the forefront of any and all discussions.” said acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller in a statement.

SLAOUI: THERE ARE PLANS: Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the Pentagon’s top science adviser for Operation Warp Speed, pushed back yesterday on President-elect Joe Biden’s assertion that there was no plan for getting millions of people in the U.S. vaccinated in the coming weeks for COVID-19.

On Friday, Biden said while he’s been briefed on how the vaccine would be delivered to the states, “There is no detailed plan, that we’ve seen anyway, as to how you get the vaccine out of a container into an injection syringe into somebody’s arm.”

“There are plans. There are videos that describe how to do it,” said Slaoui on CNN Sunday. “We haven’t had a chance yet to sit down with the transition team and explain in detail everything that has been planned and been done. We look forward to that happening. We actually, I think, have a meeting planned later this week.”

INDUSTRY WATCH: The State Department reported Friday that U.S. government-authorized arms exports rose 2.8% in the fiscal year ending in September, totaling $175.8 billion.

“These sales are a continuance of the strong support for the U.S. defense industry and American workers, up to one million of these workers who depend on U.S. defense exports for their job security,” said R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, at a briefing for reporters. “These individuals and the companies they work for represent a part of American entrepreneurship and innovation, and they also help maintain the United States as the world leader in the defense and aerospace sectors to ensure our Armed Forces sustain their military edge.”

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Trump and Congress to face off next week over defense policy bill

Washington Examiner: Defense bill threatened by Trump veto would help sick Afghanistan War veterans

Washington Examiner: Trump orders troops out of Somalia as Pentagon promises terrorist threat will still be contained

Washington Examiner: Biden should preserve Space Force, one of Trump’s proudest achievements, experts believe

New York Times: U.S. Pullout Will Add To Chaos, Somalis Fear

Air Force Magazine: Here’s What the Air Force Can’t Get Rid Of, According to the Draft NDAA

AP: ‘Uneasy Deterrence’ Reached With Iran, Says Top U.S. Navy Official In Mideast

CNBC: Former Cybersecurity Chief Says Russia, China, Iran And North Korea Are Trying To Steal Coronavirus Vaccine IP

Reuters: U.S. Preparing New Sanctions On Chinese Officials Over Hong Kong Crackdown – Sources

Stars and Stripes: Navy Pushes Ahead With Plans To Stand Up Another Numbered Fleet In The Indo-Pacific

South China Morning Post: Beijing’s South China Sea Military Bases ‘Are Vulnerable To Attack And Will Be Of Little Use In A War’

Washington Post: Defense bill offers Biden’s team a new framework to counter China

Wall Street Journal: Chinese Arms Industry Ranks Second Behind U.S., Report Says

NBC: Trump Admin Debates Labeling Yemen’s Houthis Terrorists, Aid Groups Warn Thousands Face Famine

Military Times: Trump signs bill allowing Iraq War hero Alywn Cashe to receive Medal of Honor

Air Force Magazine: Congress Won’t Impose Naval Ranks on the Space Force

Marine Corps Times: Marine Corps’ First F-35C Squadron Ready To Deploy On Carriers

Calendar

MONDAY | DECEMBER 7

8 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies online discussion:” The U.S.-Japan Alliance in 2020: An Equal Alliance with a Global Agenda, with former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, founding partner and president of Armitage International and former assistant Defense secretary for international security affairs; Kara Bue, founding partner of Armitage International; Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Zack Cooper, research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Joseph Nye, Harvard University professor https://www.csis.org/events/online

10 a.m. — Center for the National Interest webinar: “Views from Abroad: Anticipating U.S. Foreign Policy under Biden,” with Kishore Mahbubani, distinguished fellow, Asian Research Institute at the National University of Singapore; Dmitry Suslov, deputy director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies; Dominic Green, deputy editor of The Spectator’s American edition, and weekly columnist for the London Daily Telegraph; Shai Feldman, president, Sapir Academic College, Israel; And George Beebe, vice president and director of studies at the Center for the National Interest. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

10 a.m. — George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies virtual forum: “U.S.-Republic of Korea Cooperation Between the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the New South Policy,” with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan Marc Knapper. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/talk-with-marc-knapper

11 a.m. — Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy Science and Technology Policy Program virtual discussion: “Reducing Global Security Risks: The Agenda for 2021 and Beyond,” with former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., founder, co-chair and strategic adviser at the Nuclear Threat Initiative; former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, co-chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative; former U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Israel Edward Djerejian, director of the Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy; and Neal Lane, senior science and technology policy fellow at the Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy. https://riceconnect.rice.edu/Baker/ST-globalsecurity

12 p.m. — Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond, and other senior officials speak at the first AFWERX Accelerate virtual event. https://afwerx.com/

12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “The Role of AI and Big Data in Military Operations,” with Army Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, former U.S. deputy national security adviser for strategy Nadia Schadlow, senior fellow at Hudson Institute; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute; and Richard Shultz, professor of international politics and director of the International Security Studies Program at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. https://www.hudson.org/events

3:30 p.m. — Washington Post live discussion: “Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution,” with retired Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, director of supply, production and distribution, Operation Warp Speed, and David Ignatius, Washington Post Columnist. https://www.washingtonpost.com

TUESDAY | DECEMBER 8

9 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Toward a New Transatlantic Deal?” with Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister for European Union and Cooperation Arancha Gonzalez Laya; former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns, professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School; Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe for the New York Times; and Erik Brattberg, director of the CEIP Europe Program. https://carnegieendowment.org

9:30 a.m. — Mitchell Institute Aerospace Nation virtual conversation with Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, deputy chief of staff for operations, U.S. Air Force Headquarters, moderated by retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Invitation only, but video posted afterward at https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/aerospace-nation

12 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “Nuclear Modernization and Arms Control in 2021,” with House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.; John Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS; and Rebecca Hersman, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues. https://www.csis.org/events

12 p.m. — Cato Institute webinar: “Space Force: Ahead of Its Time or Dreadfully Premature?” with Robert Farley, senior lecturer at the University of Kentucky; Kaitlyn Johnson, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Aerospace Security Project; Brian Weeden, director of program planning at the Secure World Foundation; and Eric Gomez, director of defense policy studies at Cato. https://www.cato.org/events/space-force

12 p.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association online discussion with Anthony Reardon, administrative assistant to the Air Force secretary. https://register.gotowebinar.com/register

12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion with United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba; and Walter Russell Mead, strategy and statesmanship fellow at Hudson. https://www.hudson.org/events

1 p.m. — The Hill hosts a virtual discussion: “Conservation and U.S. National Security,” with House Natural Resources Chairman Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell; Philippe Cousteau, documentary producer and founder of EarthEcho International; Eileen O’Connor, senior vice president of policy and advocacy at the Rockefeller Foundation; and Rod Schoonover, founder and CEO of the Council on Strategic Risks & Ecological Futures Group. https://thehill.com/event

1 p.m. — Center for the National Interest webinar: “How Kim Jong-Un Sees a Biden Administration — and How Kim Will Respond,” with Ken Gause, director of the Adversary Analytics Program at CNA; Soo Kim, policy analyst at the RAND Corporation; John Dale Grover, Korean studies fellow at the CNA; and Harry Kazianis, senior director of Korean studies at the CNA. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 9

9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual Project on Nuclear Issues Winter Conference discussion: “Nuclear Policy in Asia,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Scott Kindsvater, deputy chairman of the NATO Military Committee. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event

10:15 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States virtual discussion: “Turkey’s Foreign Policy, “ with Ibrahim Kalin, presidential spokesman and chief adviser to Turkish President Erdogan; and Ian Lesser, GMFUS vice president and executive director for Brussels. https://www.gmfus.org/events/turkeys-foreign-policy

11 a.m. — U.S. Nuclear Industry Council virtual summit: “New Nuclear Capital: Markets and Financing for Advanced Nuclear Energy,” with former Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War; Kimberly Reed, president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; Aleshia Duncan, deputy assistant Energy secretary for international nuclear energy policy and cooperation. https://www.newnuclearcapital.org/

12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar, with Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, senior enlisted leader of the U.S. Army Reserve. Register at: https://info.ausa.org

12 p.m. — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute virtual discussion: “America’s role in the world given the landscape of national security threats and challenges,” with House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. https://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan-institute/events

1 p.m. Rayburn 2118/WebEx — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing: “Fort Hood 2020: The Findings and Recommendations of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee,” with committee members Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez, and Jack White. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

4 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual debate: “Within the Next Five Years, China Will Use Significant Military Force Against a Country on its Periphery,” with Oriana Skylar Mastro, foreign and defense policy fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Taylor Fravel, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event

THURSDAY | DECEMBER 10

7 p.m. — Aspen Security Forum webinar: “The View from Seoul: A Conversation with the Republic of Korea’s Foreign Minister,” with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, and Nicholas Burns, executive director, Aspen Strategy Group. https://aspeninst.zoom.us/webinar/register

TUESDAY | DECEMBER 15

2 p.m. — The SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. webinar: “The Biden Administration’s Foreign Policy Priorities,” with Charles Kupchan, professor, Georgetown University; Shadi Hamid, senior fellow, Brookings Institution; and Kilic Kanat, research director, SETA Foundation. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It is impossible to add a repeal of Section 230 to the defense authorization bill. The only other option would mean that for the first time in 60 years, we would not have an NDAA. Without an NDAA, our troops would not get flight pay. They wouldn’t get hazard pay or any other specialty pay that requires annual authorization.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, explaining why he cannot fulfill the president’s demand to repeal a law that provides liability protection to internet companies.

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