US House overrides Trump's veto of annual defense bill including keeping USFK troop level

The US House Of Representatives on Monday overrode President Donald Trump's recent veto of a defense budget bill for the 2021 fiscal year, which included a provision against reducing the number of American troops in South Korea.

In an overwhelming 322-87 vote, the House overturned Trump's exercise last Wednesday of his authority to veto the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act that passed both houses of the Congress earlier this month, according to media reports.

The bill states, "None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be used to reduce the total number of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to South Korea below 28,500."

Should the Senate also re-approve the bill during a session scheduled for Tuesday, Trump's veto would be invalidated in a rare legislative step that highlighted Trump's lame-duck status in the twilight of his presidency.

It would mark the first time that the Congress has overridden Trump's veto during his term. (Yonhap)