President Donald Trump accused Republicans in Congress of getting “cold feet” Thursday on abolishing Section 230, days after Trump’s vow to veto military spending until it includes the removal of the law.
Congress is currently focused on passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill that funds military priorities. Trump tweeted late Tuesday evening, however, that he would veto any version of the bill that doesn’t include language abolishing Section 230.
Looks like certain Republican Senators are getting cold feet with respect to the termination of Big Tech’s Section 230, a National Security and Election Integrity MUST. For years, all talk, no action. Termination must be put in Defense Bill!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2020
Section 230 is the portion of law that grants internet companies immunity from lawsuits over content that users post to their sites. It also allows the sites to moderate user content as they see fit, a privilege many Republicans argue Facebook, Twitter and other tech giants have abused. (RELATED: Twitter Is Using Its ‘Hacked Info’ Policy To Suppress The NYPost Story, But There’s One Big Problem)
Current versions of the NDAA reportedly have no language regarding Section 230. Even the law’s most ardent critics in Congress, such Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, have not themselves proposed legislation that would “completely terminate” Section 230, as Trump is demanding.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany doubled down on Trump’s veto threat during a Tuesday press conference. Republican Congressional leaders have indicated that even while they agree with Trump’s sentiment regarding Section 230, reforms to it have no place in a military spending bill.
The choice of whether to pass the legislation and send it to Trump without Section 230 language ultimately rests with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has so far remained silent on the issue.