[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, President Obama regularly calls on 
Republicans and Democrats to work together to advance the priorities of 
our Nation, and we certainly agree.
  Our top priority is our national security, and Congress worked 
together on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis to pass the National 
Defense Authorization Act. So while Americans were surprised to learn 
the President announced he would veto that bipartisan bill, they must 
be shaking their heads in disbelief now that they have learned the 
President will not only veto the bill, he is going to brag about it--
not only going to veto the bill, but he is going to brag about it in a 
photo op today down at the White House.
  Remember what it is the President will veto today. This bipartisan 
bill will attack bureaucratic waste and authorize pay raises and 
improved quality-of-life programs for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
and marines; it will strengthen sexual assault prevention and response; 
it will help wounded warriors and heroes who struggle with mental 
health challenges; and it will equip the men and women who serve with 
what they need to defend this Nation.
  This is the worst possible time for an American President to veto a 
national defense bill and especially to do so for arbitrary partisan 
reasons. Republicans and Democrats in Congress worked so hard to pass 
this important legislation, legislation that authorizes the exact 
amount--the exact amount--the Commander in Chief requested. So now we 
will have to work together again, this time hopefully to override the 
President's veto.
  The President should be highlighting his signature on this bipartisan 
legislation that supports the men and women who defend our Nation. 
Instead, with our servicemembers facing threats and instability in 
several theaters, he will be bragging--bragging--about using his veto 
pen. Our allies are seeking leadership and stability, not indecision. A 
partisan veto of this bipartisan bill is simply unacceptable.

                          ____________________