Obama vetoes $612 billion defense bill in rebuke to GOP
President Obama vetoed a sweeping $612 billion defense policy bill Thursday in a rebuke to congressional Republicans, and insisted they send him a better version that doesn't tie his hands on some of his top priorities.
In an unusual Oval Office ceremony,聽Obama聽praised the bill for ensuring the military stays funded and making improvements on armed forces retirement and cybersecurity. Yet he pointedly accused Republicans of resorting to "gimmicks" and prohibiting other changes needed to address modern security threats.
"Unfortunately, it falls woefully short," Mr. Obama聽said. "I'm going to be sending it back to Congress, and my message to them is very simple: Let's do this right."
In no mood to negotiate, Republicans vowed to muster the votes to override him.
The rare presidential veto marked the latest wrinkle in the ongoing fight between聽Obama聽and Republicans who control Congress over whether to increase federal spending 鈥撀燼nd how.
Four years after Congress passed and聽Obama聽signed into law strict, across-the-board spending limits, both parties are eager to bust through the caps for defense spending. But聽Obama聽has insisted that spending on domestic programs be raised at the same time, setting off a budget clash with Republicans that shows no signs of a quick resolution.
To sidestep the budget caps, known in Washington as sequestration, lawmakers added an extra $38.3 billion to a separate account for wartime operations that is immune to the spending limits. The White House has dismissed that approach, arguing it fails to deal with the broader problem or provide long-term budget certainty for the Pentagon.
Obama also rejects the bill as written due to provisions making it harder for him to transfer suspected terror detainees out of the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a key campaign promise that聽Obama聽is hard-pressed to fulfill before his term ends. The White House has also expressed concerns over provisions preventing military base closures and funding equipment beyond what the military says it needs.
Republicans erupted in near-universal criticism. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, called the聽veto聽"misguided, cynical, and downright dangerous." And more than a dozen House and Senate Republicans, including Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, joined in accusing聽Obama聽of putting politics ahead of the troops.
"Congress should not allow this聽veto聽to stand," said House Speaker John Boehner.
Yet the White House and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Democrats had the votes to ensure Obama's聽veto聽stays in place. Barring a聽veto聽override, Congress will have to revise the bill or try to settle the larger budget dispute.
Obama聽has聽vetoed聽only a handful of bills before, generally in private. In an effort to call attention to his concerns, the White House invited reporters and photographers to witness him聽vetoing聽the bill.
