Senate to Vote on Defense Bill as White House Warns of Veto
Source: Associated Press
Senate to Vote on Defense Bill as White House Warns of Veto
By RICHARD LARDNER, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON Jun 14, 2016, 7:26 AM ET
The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a $602 billion defense policy bill that the White House has said President Barack Obama will veto over numerous objections, including a prohibition on shuttering the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In addition to the ban on closing Guantanamo, the White House is opposed to provisions that would limit the size of the president's National Security Council staff and block a new round of military base closings.
The bill must be reconciled with a version the House passed earlier this year.
Debate over potential amendments to the Senate legislation came to a halt late last week due to procedural disputes. The gridlock has left in doubt the future of a program that allows Afghan civilians in danger of being harmed or killed by the Taliban to resettle in the United States.
A measure that would have stripped a provision from the bill that compels young women to register for a potential military draft also was sidelined. The requirement has roiled social conservatives, who fear the mandate is another step toward blurring gender lines.
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