House passes bill that could rename 2 Georgia military bases

ATLANTA — Two Georgia military bases could get new names.

The U.S. House passed a funding bill that also creates a commission that will rename bases named after Confederate leaders. That includes both Fort Gordon near Augusta and Fort Benning near Columbus.

Aside from being a Confederate war commander, Gordon is generally believed to be a leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia.

Fort Benning was named for Henry L. Benning, who was a leader of Georgia’s secessionist movement and an advocate of preserving slavery.

The Senate must approve it. However, President Trump has promised to veto the bill.

[READ MORE: House approves defense policy bill with a veto-proof margin]

Trump tweeted Tuesday that he will veto “the very weak National Defense Authorization Act,’' or NDAA, unless it repeals so-called Section 230, a part of the communications code that shields Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants from content liability.

Trump also wants Congress to strip out a provision of the bill that allows renaming of military bases that now honor Confederate leaders.

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Congressional leaders vowed to move ahead on the hugely popular bill — which affirms automatic 3% pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes other military programs — despite the veto threat.

The final vote represented approval from more than 80% of the House — well above the two-thirds support required to override a potential veto. A total of 140 Republicans joined 195 Democrats to back the bill.

Congressman Jody Hice is the only member of the Georgia delegation who voted against the bill.

Representatives Austin Scott and Doug Collins missed the vote.

The fight over renaming the military bases erupted this summer amid widespread protests over police killings of unarmed Black men and women, and Trump used the debate to try to appeal to white Southern voters nostalgic about the Confederacy.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report

Advocacy groups demand changes to street names, confederate flags removed at Stone Mountain Park The park's association said it is listening to recommendations but could be months before making a decision.

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