In an unusual but not unprecedented ceremony, President Obama on Thursday vetoed the annual defense policy bill before reporters in the Oval Office, and defended his decision as one aimed at forcing Congress to find a defense bill that doesn’t rely on “gimmicks.”
“As president and commander-in-chief, my first and most important responsibility is keeping the American people safe,” Obama said before rejecting congressional Republicans’ vision of how to authorize Defense programs. The bill is not an appropriations bill, meaning it doesn’t actually spend any money; it merely lays out how to cover the Pentagon’s expenses.
After saying that Republicans took some steps with which he agrees, Obama said that it “falls woefully short in key areas.” It would not end sequestration and “resorts to gimmicks” to get around those spending limitations, he said.
Specifically, the bill would shift $38 billion from regular operations and maintenance accounts to a war funding account that’s exempt from the Budget Control Act of 2011’s spending caps. Obama wants to end sequestration, but across the entire government, not just for the Pentagon.
Obama also rejected provisions that would prevent him from closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“This legislation specifically impedes our ability to close Guantanamo in a way that I have repeatedly argued is counterproductive to our efforts to defeat terrorism around the world,” Obama said.
Additionally, the GOP authorization bill would prevent a “wide range of reforms that are necessary for us to get our military modernized,” Obama said.
“I’m going to be vetoing this authorization bill; I’m going to be sending it back to Congress; and my message to them is very simple: Let’s do this right,” he said.
The ceremony was similar to one Obama held just once before back in March, which was to protest a GOP bill requiring changes to the National Labor Relations Board. His move sets up a showdown with congressional Republicans.
Even before Obama officially vetoed the bill, House Republicans scheduled a vote to override his action for Nov. 5.
“The defense authorization bill authorizes exactly as much money as the president requested for national defense,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., countered in a statement.
“Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are performing vital missions to protect our nation,” he continued. “They do not care what budget category that support comes from. That is a Washington game. All they care about is that their mission is fully resourced.”
