The Obama administration is threatening to veto defense policy legislation passed by the House last week that contains a war-funding gimmick.
The National Defense Authorization Act would shift $18 billion from the Overseas Contingency Operations fund to the military’s basic budget to pay for additional major weapons and other items that the Defense Department did not request.
Some House members are attempting to circumvent a bipartisan spending agreement reached last fall by leaving the next president and Congress with little choice but to pass additional war funding to get through the coming fiscal year.
This is an imprudent and misleading way to budget that drew criticism from a statement of administration policy. “Not only is this approach dangerous, but it is also wasteful,” the White House said.
The Senate is expected to consider legislation this week that does not take the House’s approach to war funding.
The administration also objects to the House bill for failing to include several defense reforms, including a new base realignment and closure commission and changes in the military health care system.
External links:
Administration’s Statement of Policy
House Passes Defense Policy Bill Under Veto Threat (Washington Post)
A Misguided Approach to Defense Funding (Concord)
