Dec 2, 2020 - Technology

Senate Armed Services chair dismisses Trump threat to veto defense bill

Orion Rummler

Sen. Jim Inhofe. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Wednesday that he plans to move ahead with a crucial defense-spending bill without provisions that would eliminate tech industry protections, defying a veto threat from President Trump.

Why it matters: Inhofe's public rebuke signals that the Senate could have enough Republican backing to override a potential veto from Trump, who has demanded that the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

What he's saying: "First of all, 230 has nothing to do with the military. It has nothing to do with it. I agree with his sentiments, we ought to do away with 230. But you can't do it in this bill. That's not a part of the bill," Inhofe, a Trump ally, told reporters.

The big picture: Trump's attempt to repeal Section 230 protections is the latest escalation in his war on tech giants. While he and many other Republicans have claimed social media sites and Google are biased against conservatives, there is bipartisan resistance on Capitol Hill to taking action via the defense bill.

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Senate Armed Services chair dismisses Trump threat to veto defense bill

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