Congress passes annual defense spending bill mandating sanctions on Turkey
Trump has vowed to veto the bill, which includes a mandate for the administration to sanction Turkey over the S-400.
The United States Senate on Friday passed the annual defense spending bill with a veto-proof majority, setting up a fight with President Donald Trump, who has threatened to knock down the legislation.
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act cleared the Senate 84-13 after House lawmakers approved it 335-78 earlier this week.
The bill includes a provision to force the US administration to enact long-awaited sanctions on Turkey within 30 days of the bill becoming law over the NATO ally’s purchase and test of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Reuters reported Thursday that the administration is preparing to sanction the Turkish government’s defense procurement agency, and possibly its chief, Ismail Demir, in a sign the Trump White House may be laying groundwork in case it loses the veto fight.
