The Senate and House have passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”). (Who says Congress can’t do anything.) The NDAA includes some needed reforms on things like military pensions and authorizes $612 billion in defense spending. This amount includes $38 billion in defense spending above the budget caps already in place, which matches the amount President Obama requested.
The President, however, has threatened to veto the NDAA because Congress has not passed the increase the President wants in domestic spending. He is basically saying, if you won’t let me spend more on my favorite programs, I won’t approve the additional spending that you want, and that I asked for, for defense. If you won’t let me spend more on what I think is most important, I’m willing to take risks with our national defense by not spending the amount that even I asked for.
If you think I am exaggerating when I say President Obama thinks domestic spending is more important than defense spending, consider the opposite scenario: Do you really think President Obama would threaten to veto increased spending for domestic programs if Congress wouldn’t increase defense spending?
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