White House: Shutdown Gitmo Or Obama Will Veto National Defense Bill

10.08.2015 | News | Daily Surge |

The Obama administration announced on Monday that President Obama would veto a defense authorization bill if it did not close down Guantanamo Bay.

The House funding bill would be vetoed “principally because…of the irresponsible way that it funds our national defense priorities, but also because of the efforts to prevent the closure [of] the prison at Guantanamo Bay,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest explained.

“So this is an indication that Republicans are gonna need to find a way to work with Democrats to put forward a National Defense Authorization Act that will earn not just the support of Congress, but also the support of the commander in chief,” he said.

Obama has taken a stand on shutting down the military prison in Cuba, which he feels has strengthened terrorists’ feelings about the evils of the United States, since the beginning of his presidency.

Earnest said in July that Obama “will veto” the bill if it includes the Guantánamo provisions and told reporters Monday the president has the votes to sustain a veto.

Obama may want to hand Gitmo in totality back to the Cuban government given his recent attempts to chart a new course of engagement and empowerment with the Cuban dictatorship.

Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., has said the White House promised him a plan to close the prison, but has yet to present one. Without that, he has said he wouldn’t be able to find the votes to do what the White House wants.

The defense policy bill has become law for more than five decades in a row, and Obama has signed it every year despite issuing veto threats over Gitmo.

The president’s willingness to dramatically cut America’s military funding as Russia takes over Ukraine and Syria and China continues its aggressive behavior proves, that implementing a leftist agenda takes priority over protecting the United States.