Obama vetoes defense bill, sends it back to Congress
President Barack Obama vetoed a sweeping US$612 billion defense policy bill on October 22, returning the measure to the Republican-controlled Congress because of the way it uses money meant for war spending to avoid automatic budget cuts to military programs.
"I'm going to be sending it back to Congress and my message to them is very simple: 'Let's do this right,'" Obama told reporters.
"We're in the midst of budget discussions. Let's have a budget that properly funds our national security as well as economic security," he said.
Obama also said he disagreed with provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have limited his ability to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center before he leaves office in January 2017.
"Guantanamo is one of the premier mechanisms for jihadists to recruit," he told reporters at a rare White House veto signing ceremony.
"It's time for us to close it. It's outdated, it's expensive, it's been there for years. We can do better in terms of keeping Americans safe while making sure that we are consistent with our values," he said.
Closing the controversial military prison camp was a main promise of Obama's first presidential campaign, in 2008.
Obama and many of his fellow Democrats want a broader budget deal that would address mandatory cuts in domestic spending rather than only providing more funds for the Pentagon."