PRESIDENTIAL VETO OF NDAA

Floor Speech

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Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. I want to thank you, Mrs. Hartzler, for
what you have done here.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity to discuss what
has happened here today. As we talked earlier today, I honestly thought
there was a chance that we wouldn't be here speaking about this. I
thought that maybe this one time our Commander in Chief would do what
was right.

I hope you will take an opportunity to look at the news. I am looking
at it right now.

Obama to hold photo op to veto defense bill. Obama plans to hold a
photo op in the Oval Office when he uses his veto pen on the National
Defense Authorization Act, according to his public schedule.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I am around the District, I hear a lot of
complaints: Why can't Congress just work together? Why can't you get
along?

The National Defense Authorization Act came out of the Armed Services
Committee 60-2, 60-2. There was one Democrat and one Republican that
voted against the bill; 60-2.

It came through the House. A significant majority voted for the
National Defense Authorization bill on the floor. It passed out of the
Senate with over 70 votes.

When I am talking to Americans, I have used this as an example of how
not everything you see in the press is true, that there are issues like
national security that the Democrats and the Republicans in Washington,
D.C., absolutely take very seriously, and when it comes to the well-
being of our men and women that serve the country and their families
and making sure that they have the training and the equipment that they
need, that this is an example of how we are able to put partisanship
aside and work in the best interest of everybody in the country, most
especially those that serve so honorably.

And the President held a photo op to veto the bill.
I want to thank my fellow colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans,
for their work on this bill. Certainly I supported it. I continue to
support it.

I think one of the things that continues to be mentioned and needs to
be mentioned over and over and over again is the President got the
total of what he asked for with regard to the authorization of the
funds for carrying out the fight against ISIL, for the operations of
the military.

There were a couple of things in it that he didn't like. One the them
was the transfer of terrorists out of Guantanamo Bay.

Now, I would just ask that you think about the fact that, since the
first NDAA 50 years ago, it has only been vetoed four times. In each
instance, there was an agreement effectively prior to the veto on how
to resolve it.

But not this guy, not this guy. He holds a photo op. He holds a photo
op so that he can show off while he vetoes the National Defense
Authorization Act.

I just hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will
join us as we work to override the President's veto in the House. I
honestly believe that we will get the votes in the House to do that.

I hope that the Members of the Senate who voted for the National
Defense Authorization Act will vote for it again when they have the
opportunity to do so after we send the bill over there, after we have
overridden the President's veto with this piece of legislation in the
House.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to apologize. If the President
won't do it, I want to do it. What happened today I think will long be
looked upon as one of the worst moments of American leadership.
With that, Mrs. Hartzler, I thank you again for what you have done
for the men and women who serve and your service in this House.

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