WASHINGTON — Earlier this month Congress passed on a bipartisan basis the $612 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) funding the country’s military and national defense. Thursday afternoon President Obama vetoed the NDAA, disagreeing with an increase in military action spending without increases in domestic spending.
The NDAA passed the House by a vote of 270 to 156, with 37 Democrats voting in support. Similarly, the bill made it through the Senate by a veto-proof vote of 70 to 27, with 21 Democrats voting in favor.
“I’m going to be sending it back to Congress and my message to them is very simple: ‘Let’s do this right,’” President Obama told reporters after registering the veto.
Alabama’s Republican delegation blasted the veto, calling it a dangerous and politically-motivated move that would put the nation’s security in danger.
“President Obama’s decision to veto the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act is a slap in the face to all those who serve in our nation’s military,” said Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL1). “From Iraq to China to Russia to Iran to Afghanistan to Syria, our nation has never faced a wider range of threats, and it is reprehensible for our Commander-in-Chief to veto this critical defense bill over matters that have absolutely nothing to do with defense.
“If the President wants to have a debate about increasing spending on non-defense programs, then I welcome that debate. But we shouldn’t hold our military and their families hostage in the process. My colleagues and I in the House are already working to ensure we can override the President’s veto and stand strong with our nation’s military.”
Representative Mike Rogers (R-Al3), who sits on the Armed Services committee, echoed these concerns.
“I am deeply disappointed, but not surprised that President Obama vetoed this bipartisan and critical piece of legislation, not for what was in it, but for what was not in it,” said Rogers. “The NDAA funds our troops and our national security, and the president should be ashamed of himself for playing political games with our brave men and women in uniform and our country’s safety.”
Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL5) said, “Today, America’s Commander-in-Chief put politics above country by holding America’s military hostage in a sordid effort to coerce Congress into spending more money on programs unrelated to national defense. President Obama’s veto weakens an already bludgeoned Defense Department that is hamstrung by sequestration and laying off tens of thousands of American military personnel. It is outrageous that President Obama and the White House so willingly play politics with America’s national security.”
Representative Gary Palmer also expressed his disapproval, adding “With his veto, the President is not only placing our national security at risk by failing to authorize funding for our military, but is undermining our national security by demanding more domestic spending that further increases our national debt. As the Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen said, ‘The most significant threat to our national security is our debt. ’
“The NDAA was passed with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate, and I support overriding the President’s veto.”
Congresswoman Martha Roby also condemned the veto, saying it will hurt military families. “This veto is purely political and it sets us back tremendously in our work to deliver needed resources to our military. This is a good bill that does right by our troops and contains important provisions to support the missions at Maxwell Air Force Base and Fort Rucker.
“I don’t know if the votes exist to overturn this veto, but we will start right away working to earn them. President Obama should be ashamed for placing his personal political agenda over the needs of our military.”
Obama’s veto marks only the 4th time a President has rejected the NDAA in its more than 50-year history.
The comments of other members will be added as they are received.
Alabama congressional Republicans condemn Obama’s veto of vital defense spending bill https://t.co/moF8Kmq9SO pic.twitter.com/zlS3FwCYhA
— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizTBeShears) October 22, 2015
