SPLC Action Fund Responds to President Trump Threatening to Veto the Department of Defense Authorization Bill

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The SPLC Action Fund’s Lecia Brooks released the following statement in response to President Trump’s tweet threatening to veto the Department of Defense Authorization bill if it includes the amendment submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), which requires the renaming of military bases honoring Confederate generals, removing symbols, displays and monuments that commemorate the Confederacy within three years, while establishing a commission to develop a plan to do so.

“The annual Department of Defense Authorization bill outlines expenditures and priorities and helps allocate crucial national security resources designed to protect the United States – including research funding to address the pandemic, a pay raise for American troops, and other critical matters affecting the health and well-being of our troops and their families.

“It’s outrageous that President Trump would threaten to veto it because of an amendment that would remove the names of Confederate commanders from military installations. That he would continue to attack Senator Elizabeth Warren by name-calling, while defending those who literally fought against the United States to advance white supremacy, is also deeply offensive.

“The consequences of vetoing this must-pass bill should far outweigh the president’s obsession with honoring those who fought to keep Black people enslaved.

“Sadly, we are not surprised to witness the president’s ongoing attempts to sow discord among Americans instead of uniting the country in this time of unprecedented crisis. We urge the Senate to stand against this veto threat and include Senator Warren’s amendment to remove the names of Confederate commanders from all U.S. military installations.”

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