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Washington, DC – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) issued the following statement after President Obama vetoed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016, which provides necessary authorization and funding for the U.S. military:

“The bipartisan bill presented to the president funds our military and its critical services at the full amount requested.  The bill also enhances the current retirement system to make more options available to service members, allows our brave troops to receive a pay raise, and includes provisions to help service members leaving the military with transitional services.  Like past reauthorizations of the NDAA, it also continues Congress’s effort to combat sexual assault in the military by increasing protections for interveners and expanding this ongoing effort to ROTC and Junior ROTC programs as well. 

“The NDAA authorizes critical security assistance resources for Iraqi forces as we work to defeat ISIL.  Now more than ever, we must utilize every tool in our arsenal to defeat this merciless terrorist group. 

“Our military fights for each and every one of us on a daily basis.  Vetoing this common sense and bipartisan bill is a grave injustice to our brave men and women in uniform.”

For the 53^rd year in a row, the House and Senate have agreed on a bipartisan reauthorization of the NDAA.  Prior to today, the NDAA had only been vetoed four times.  In those cases, the president objected to a policy provision in the bill and a compromise was reached.  Today’s veto – an effort by the president to extract non-defense spending concessions – is unprecedented.

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