NDAA, Pronounced, “N-D-ahhhhhhhh!”
The U.S. House and Senate passed parallel versions of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that provides funding authorizations for the armed services. This year’s NDAA authorizes more than $740 billion for items such as pay increases, more submarines, and strategic initiatives for the Indo-Pacific.
Both versions include a key — and politically charged — provision for the Defense Department to create a commission to remove Confederate names from military bases.
The House version calls for this process to occur within one year, while the Senate version calls for three years. Both chambers passed their bills with a veto-proof majority — 295 to 125 in the House and 86 to 14 in the Senate.
The bills will now be reconciled in a committee process, and once complete, will be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. He, of course, has already signaled that he will veto the legislation.
On June 30, 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!”
Even though the bills were passed with veto-proof majorities, the fight is not over.
After the House and Senate passed the bills, President Trump tweeted, “I spoke to highly respected (Chairman) Senator @JimInhofe, who has informed me that he WILL NOT be changing the names of our great Military Bases and Forts, places from which we won two World Wars (and more!). Like me, Jim is not a believer in ‘Cancel Culture’.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has publicly committed to removing the renaming provision from the final NDAA. “We’re going to see to it that provision doesn’t survive the bill,” Inhofe said in an interview with The Oklahoman. “I’m not going to say how at this point.”
Whatever the outcome, the Trump administration’s stance is at odds with the cultural moment in the United States. Several high-level military leaders have publicly supported the removal of the Confederate legacy from military installations, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Those officers turned their back on their oath,” Gen. Mark Milley said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, referring to the officers who fought for the Confederacy. “It was an act of treason, at the time, against the Union, against the Stars and Stripes, against the U.S. Constitution.”
Furthermore, in Mississippi, the Republican governor signed a bill that removed the state’s flag that prominently featured the Confederate battle flag. Mississippi is no liberal stronghold — President Trump beat Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton in the state by 17.8 percentage points in 2016.
This standoff between Congress and the president may not be resolved before the presidential election. Some have speculated that the consolidated bill will not be ready until late November — making it possible that this fight is a leading talking point for all candidates up for re-election.
If you enjoyed this content, please subscribe to the jumo brief today to receive a free weekly newsletter in your inbox every Saturday morning! You will receive weekly content like this and much more!
The jumo brief helps leaders keep up to date on social commentary, news, and current events that are relevant to the Army.
The views expressed are those of Brennan Randel and do not reflect the official position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or any government agency.
