Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) added an amendment to the annual military spending bill that would require the Defense Department change the names of military bases that are named after Confederate leaders. Moving through the Senate Armed Services Committee, dominated with Republicans, the amendment passed late Wednesday.
"Seriously failed presidential candidate, Senator Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren, just introduced an Amendment on the renaming of many of our legendary Military Bases from which we trained to WIN two World Wars. Hopefully our great Republican Senators won’t fall for this!" Trump tweeted Thursday morning after the vote.
Warren called, "it's long past time to end the tribute to white supremacy on our military installations."
Trump threatened to block any pay raises for the troops if military leaders agreed to discuss name changes, though Congress is responsible for the DOD budget, not the president. If he vetoes the spending bill for the DOD it would shut down the military until the Senate could hold a veto override vote.
The existing bill gives a 3 percent pay-raise to soldiers and substantial funding for family housing on bases where soldiers have complained are falling apart and in some cases are unlivable.
Even Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) praised the agreement between Democrats and Republicans, the Military Times reported.
