Congress Clears $662 Billion Defense Bill

Congress has cleared a $662 billion defense bill and will send the measure to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The Senate voted 86-13 for the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday. The bill would authorize money for military personnel, weapons systems, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and national security programs in the Energy Department. The House had voted 283-136 for the measure Wednesday night.

The legislation is $27 billion less than Obama wanted for the Pentagon and other accounts.

The White House initially threatened a veto but dropped that warning, saying last-minute congressional changes no longer challenge the president’s ability to prosecute the war on terror.

U.S. Colorado Senator Mark Udall joined the Senate in voting for the bill. Senator Udall issued the following statement about it:

“The National Defense Authorization Act is critically important for our armed forces and for Colorado, and I support the vast majority of what this bill does. Among other things, it contains important legislation I authored or co-sponsored, including measures to increase the military’s use of alternative energy and sanctions on Iran. “I remain extremely troubled by two provisions in the bill related to detention – sections 1021 and 1022. These provisions could be interpreted to allow the indefinite detention without trial of U.S. citizens. And these provisions could simultaneously impede terror investigations by limiting the flexibility of our national security professionals to make decisions about the best way to interrogate and prosecute terrorists. I fought against these provisions during the committee debate, on the floor of the Senate and as a member of the Senate-House conference committee on this bill.

“I appreciate that senators Levin and McCain heard the concerns I raised – concerns echoed by the Secretary of Defense, Director of National Intelligence and the directors of the FBI and CIA. Changes have been made to reduce the harm those provisions would do to national security. Those changes alleviate some, but not all, of my concerns. Therefore, when signing the conference report earlier this week, I explicitly stated that I do not support the detention provisions, sections 1021 and 1022.

“As these provisions are implemented over the coming months and years, I intend to hold accountable this administration and any future administration. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will also push the Congress to conduct the maximum amount of oversight possible as it relates to these provisions. If these provisions are implemented in a way that harms national security or infringes on the constitutional rights of Americans, I will be the first to demand hearings and changes to the law.”