Obama administration theatens veto of vital defense spending bill that supports troops.
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On Wednesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that President Barack Obama would veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) even though it contains the exact amount of money he requested. The reason, Earnest said, is that the bill shifts money to an overseas war fund in order to leave sequestration caps in place, the Washington Free Beaconreported.
"If the president got this bill, he'd veto it," Earnest told reporters. According to Earnest, shifting funds the way lawmakers want is "irresponsible," even though it contains the amount Obama requested. Democrats have long opposed sequestration as it prevents them from spending even more on favorite domestic agenda items.
Part of the spending in the compromise bill includes defensive aid to Ukraine. It also provides arms to Kurds and other Sunni groups in Iraq. If passed, the bill would provide funds to purchase Russian rocket engines to place military and spy satellites in orbit. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, shredded the president for his threat to veto the measure.
“It is unbelievable to me that an American President would threaten to veto a defense bill that supports our troops and gives him additional tools to use against aggressors, especially at a time when the world situation is spiraling out of control from Eastern Europe to the Middle East and South Asia," he said in a statement. "This is a time to stand together for our nation’s security, rather than play cheap political games.”
The threat could not come at a worse time, with ISIS on the move and Russian jets conducting air operations in Syria. It also threatens to undo months of work by leaders who had to work through 874 differences between the House and Senate bills.
Almost all of the Democrats on the committee refused to sign off on the report, the Washington Post said. Only two Senate Democrats, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, signed the report.
Threatening to veto defense spending seems to be an annual event with the Obama administration. In 2012, the president threatened to veto the measure unless service members were forced to pay more for health care. He made the same threat in 2013.
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- Obama threatens veto of defense bill if military health care fees not increased
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- President Obama: Troops 'fighting on my behalf'
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