Page 3 - ATD 8OCT,2015
P. 3
U.S. NEWS A3
Thursday 8 October 2015
US Senate OKs massive defense
bill, sending measure to Obama
DEB RIECHMANN the larger budget dispute.
Associated Press Senate Majority Leader
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- Mitch McConnell, a Re-
gress on Wednesday sent publican, said the presi-
President Barack Obama dent’s desire to veto the bill
a sweeping $612 billion U.S. is “outrageous” in the light
defense policy bill that he of national security threats.
has threatened to veto “I wish I could say it sur-
over a continuing battle prised me that President
between Democrats and Obama might — for the
Republicans about govern- sake of unrelated partisan
ment spending. games — actually contem-
The Senate voted to ap- plate vetoing a bipartisan
prove the measure 70 to defense bill that contains
27. If Obama vetoes the the level of funding autho-
defense bill, it would be rization he asked for,” Mc-
only the fifth time that has Connell said on the Senate
happened in the past half- floor. “I’m calling on him
century. The bipartisan not to, especially in times
measure has become law like these.”
every year for more than Jack Reed, the top Demo-
50 years. The House passed crat on the Senate Armed
the bill last week, 269 to Services Committee, said it
151, with enough Demo- was a good bill. He cited 60
cratic votes to sustain a provisions aimed at helping
presidential veto. streamline defense acqui-
Obama says he’ll veto it sitions. He said other parts
because while it contains of the bill would help the
all the money he request- Defense Department keep
ed, he doesn’t like the way pace with changing tech-
Congress did it. The bill in- nology, combat cyberat-
creases defense spending tacks and provides key
by padding a separate funding for the war in Af-
war-fighting account with ghanistan, the fight against
an extra $38 billion. Con- Islamic State militants and
gress didn’t increase mon- Ukraine forces fighting Rus-
ey for domestic agencies sian-backed rebels.
too as the president wants. But he said he could not
If the veto is sustained, Con- support it because it in-
gress would be forced to creases the war-fighting
revise the bill or try to settle account, raising defense
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill spending by doing an end- Services Committee, and
in Washington. McConnell, a Republican, said the president’s desire to veto a sweeping $612 bil- run around the spending Rep. Mac Thornberry,
lion U.S. defense policy bill is “outrageous” in the light of national security threats. caps. chairman of the House
Adding funds to the ac- Armed Services Commit-
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) count for Overseas Con- tee, called a news confer-
tingency Operations com- ence to try to convince
plicates defense spending, Obama to sign it.
he said. It does not provide “I continue to hope that
funds for many of the do- the president just won’t
mestic agencies, such as veto it — that there will be
the FBI, Coast Guard, Jus- sufficient pressures on him
tice Department, because that he won’t veto,” Mc-
they remain subject to the Cain said.
spending caps. Thornberry said he too
“Defense budgeting needs hoped the president would
to be based on our long- reconsider his veto, espe-
term military strategy,” he cially in light of the strong
said. “A one year plus-up” votes of support in both
to the special account chambers.
does not provide the Pen- “There has been a total of
tagon “with the certainty four vetoes in the past 53
and stability it needs when years ... every one of them
building its five-year bud- were because of some-
get.” thing that was in the bill,
After the vote, House not because of something
Speaker John Boehner is- that was outside the bill,
sued a statement pressur- which is the thing that the
ing Obama to sign the bill. president is complaining
Sen. John McCain, chair- about today,” Thornberry
man of the Senate Armed said.q
