Saturday, October 24, 2015

Obama Vetoes Defense Policy Bill

President’s rejection of military spending bill intensifies battle between White House, Congress
President Barack Obama on Thursday vetoed legislation authorizing $612 billion in military spending over the next year, intensifying a battle between the White House and Congress.
Underscoring the escalating tensions over the annual National Defense Authorization Act, Mr. Obama made a rare public show of his veto by rejecting the legislation in front of television cameras and reporters in the Oval Office.
Mr. Obama said the bill “falls woefully short” because it fails to resolve spending caps known as sequestration, doesn’t include military reforms, and impedes his ability to close the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“I’m going to be sending it back to Congress, and my message to them is very simple: Let’s do this right,” Mr. Obama said before affixing his signature to a formal veto message to congressional leaders. “We’re in the midst of budget discussions. Let’s have a budget that properly funds our national security as well as economic security.”
It was only the fifth veto of Mr. Obama’s presidency. Republicans lambasted the move, saying the president was putting the country’s security at risk.
“It’s sad to see our commander in chief embrace such a reckless political strategy,” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Mr. Obama of “bragging about using his veto pen” and said “this is the worst possible time for an American president to veto the national defense bill,” given the current deployment of U.S. troops overseas.
Read the rest of the story HERE and follow a link to a related story below:

Obama Vetoes His Own Military: A dubious distinction: The first president ever to stop a defense authorization bill as leverage to further his domestic spending agenda.

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