NDAA Veto Threat

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House for 5 minutes and talk about what the President is saying he is going to do on the NDAA.

   The President is determined to end his second term on a spending spree, and that spending spree will threaten the national defense of this country and hold our military hostage. He is showing his lack of leadership by threatening to veto the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act.

   I ask you, Mr. Speaker, does this President not understand that the NDAA provides the resources for the military to do their jobs, to protect our great Nation and the freedom that we all enjoy?

   The President is willing to jeopardize our national security in favor of more welfare programs. He threatens this reckless veto in spite of the fact that the NDAA has passed for 53 years in a row, a rare display of bipartisanship in this city.

   The American people have had enough of political games. They are tired of them. Just turn on the radio and television, and see if you can't learn that. It is especially important when it jeopardizes the men and women of our military and our national security.

   It is hard to find a worse example of leadership than a Commander in Chief who is so irresponsible that he is willing to deny his military resources and sacrifice the security of our Nation simply for political games. Even more importantly is that, and that solid statement is exactly what is going on at the White House as he approaches this veto.

   I would hope that he would realize that people--men and women, of all ages, from the chief of staff of the Army all the way down to the lowest private--have gone and risked their lives fighting for freedom and for liberty for the last 12 years; and they are being rewarded by a President that won't even back them up by passing the National Defense Authorization Act, something that has been passed by every House, every Senate, and every President for the last 53 years.

   His reasoning is, I want more money for the welfare programs, which have been plussed-up over the years until some of them are out of control. Doesn't he think about the guys out there getting shot at or blown up and who must wonder why the Commander in Chief, the person who our military ultimately answers to, is not on his side, is not standing up for the soldier?

   In my district, we have sent warfighters from Fort Hood to these actions now for 12 years. They deserve the support of this Congress. They deserve the support of the President of the United States.

   This is a good bill. It is a bill that meets the President's standards that he set for this bill, gives him the increases he requested in this bill; yet, he is going to veto it for his political convenience. This is a shame, a shame on the country, a shame on the Presidency.

   I hope that the President will reconsider. If not, I hope this body will have the strength to override this veto and stand up for the American soldier.

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