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The US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has split with Donald Trump over his threat to veto the annual defense spending bill if it includes a provision to rename military bases named for Confederate figureheads. McConnell said, “Well, I would hope the president really wouldn’t veto the bill over this issue. I hope the president will reconsider vetoing the entire defense bill, which includes pay raises for our troops, over a provision in there that could lead to changing the names”. President had indicated in a tweet earlier in the day that he would veto the $740 billion bill if it includes an amendment from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to rename some US military bases.

President Trump tweeted, “I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won two World Wars, is in the Bill”! Point to be noted that the Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously agreed this week to add a provision to the bill to remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America from all assets of the Department of Defense within 3 years of enactment.

It is noteworthy that several GOP senators have filed an amendment to remove the language forcing the Defense Department to purge itself of Confederate paraphernalia and nomenclature, but the measure is unlikely to make its way to the Senate floor for a vote. Negotiators on the annual NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) have struck mostly bipartisan chords so far, with Senate leaders expressing confidence they can strike a deal with House Democrats at a conference between the two chambers. The Senate is also ironing out the wrinkles on a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday on a par with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, and other days of US historical and cultural significance.