26th Nov 2015 06:20
WASHINGTON (Alliance News) - US President Barack Obama signed a 607-billion-dollar defence budget Wednesday, after issuing a rare veto of similar legislation last month.
The rejected legislation had "failed to authorize funding for our national defense in a fiscally responsible manner," he said in a statement after Wednesday's signing.
The revised National Defense Authorization Act includes budget reforms recently agreed between the White House and Congress, where opposition Republicans hold majorities.
Obama had objected in October to a provision in the initial legislation to impede the closure of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After Wednesday's signing, Obama said he was "deeply disappointed" that the provision in the new bill still fails "to take productive action toward closing the detention facility at Guantanamo," which he has tried to shut down since taking office in 2009.
"Maintaining this site, year after year, is not consistent with our interests as a nation and undermines our standing in the world," he said. "As I have said before, the continued operation of this facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists."
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