House Democrats have included $1 million to remove Confederate names from military bases in their annual defense spending legislation.
The $694.6 billion defense appropriations bill, unveiled Tuesday by the House Appropriations Committee, includes a provision allocating $1 million to cover the costs “for the renaming of Army installations, facilities, roads and streets named after Confederate leaders and officers.”
The Army currently has 10 bases named for Confederates.
Draft text of the new spending bill comes as lawmakers continue to battle President Trump over the issue of Confederate symbols.
Last week, the commander-in-chief threatened to veto any defense spending bill that required bases honoring Confederates to be renamed.
“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!” he tweeted late Tuesday.
The problem, however, is that both the House and Senate versions of the bill include the requirement.
The only difference between the two bills is the time span: The House requires that the name changes be made within one year, while the Senate requires the changes within three.
Close, powerful allies of the president, most notably Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), have publicly urged Trump not to veto the legislation when it reaches his desk.
Speaking to Iowa reporters Monday, Grassley said that while he hoped the president would change his mind on the matter, “if it came to overriding a veto, we’d probably override the veto,” given the bipartisan support for the bill.
McConnell also is hoping the commander-in-chief changes his mind, saying in a Fox News appearance last week, “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.”