Pelosi Statement on President Obama’s Veto of FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act

Contact: Drew Hammill/Evangeline George, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement following President Obama issuing a veto of the conference report to H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016:

"Today, as promised, President Obama vetoed Republicans' National Defense Authorization Act. With this veto, the President has stood in strong support of giving our men and women in uniform and our military overall the certainty they need, not Republican budget gimmicks.

"As Secretary of Defense Ash Carter warned the Congress, the Republican approach is ‘a road to nowhere,' ‘managerially unsound' and ‘unfairly dispiriting to our Armed Forces.' Amid threats, violence, and turmoil around the world, the American people, our servicemembers, and military families deserve better than a bill that perpetuates instability in the defense budget and undermines the Defense Departments' ability to plan and prepare for the future.

"Republicans should come together with Democrats in a fiscally responsible way to protect our national security and grow our economy. Democrats stand united with the President in insisting that our Armed Forces have the resources needed for a strong national defense. We will sustain the President's veto."

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