US Defense Secretary Calls for Congress to Veto Military Funding Bill

Department of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter stated that National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that the US House of Representatives is slated to debate this week reflects an unacceptable gamble with US national security and should be vetoed in its current form.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that the US House of Representatives is slated to debate this week reflects an unacceptable gamble with US national security and should be vetoed in its current form, Department of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told the military support group Navy League on Tuesday.

"If a final version of the NDAA reaches the president this year and includes a raid on war funding that risks stability… jeopardizes readiness and rejects key judgements of the department [of Defense], I’ll be compelled to recommend that he veto the bill," Carter said.

The Obama administration’s primary objection is that the House measure would slashes $18 billion from the Defense Department’s Overseas Contingency Operations fund, which was used to pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill also contains a number of provisions that range from managing the purchase of athletic shoes for US service members to how to replace the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine used to send heavy payloads into space.

Carter suggested that Congress give greater support to the judgement of civilian and military experts at the Defense Department, and subject the US military to less micromanagement.