WASHINGTON, D.C.—Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) called on President Barack Obama to drop his veto threat and sign the bipartisan FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
“Providing for America’s national defense is the first responsibility of our federal government, and that’s why both parties in the House and Senate have acted decisively to give our troops the resources they need to keep our country safe and free. In a dangerous world full of enemies who are determined to do us harm, undermine our freedoms, and destroy our way of life, America’s national defense is the last place we can afford to have our President playing political games. Now is the time for President Obama to drop his ill-advised and politically-charged veto threat and sign this overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation into law so our troops can perform their duty knowing their own government has their back.”
The bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act funds important priorities critical to protecting Americans and our interests both at home and abroad:
·Pays our troops
·Prohibits the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo Bay into the U.S.
·Prohibits the transfer of detainees to Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen where they can potentially return to the battlefield
·Provides support for Ukraine to defend themselves against Russian aggression
·Provides additional assistance to our allies in the Middle East to destroy ISIL
·Takes steps to prevent another tragedy like the Tennessee recruitment center shooting
·Stops a misguided Administration policy that sent the jobs of disabled Americans overseas. This reversal would represent an important victory for AbilityOne agencies nationwide, like Lighthouse Louisiana, which give Americans with disabilities the opportunity to improve their economic well-being