Burr, Hudson, Tillis slam Obama veto

President Barack Obama used his veto power for the fifth time this week when he rejected a defense authorization bill. In reaction to the veto, North Carolina’s senators and a U.S. House member representing Rowan said Obama was endangering the country’s security.

In a veto message, Obama said, among other things, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2016 would constrain the ability of the Defense Department to conduct multi-year defense planning and impede the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Obama said the bill fails to authorize funding national defense in a fiscally responsible manner.

In a joint statement, U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., said the veto “represents a stunning rejection of the longstanding tradition of casting partisan politics aside to prioritize and protect the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives for us every single day.”

The senate pair also pointed out the vetoed bill also included an amendment to maintain a C-130 presence at Fort Bragg, in Cumberland County.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8, called Obama’s veto political posturing.

“With this irresponsible veto, our Commander-in-Chief is sacrificing our national security and putting our servicemen and women at risk to push his own big-spending agenda,” Hudson said. “The fact that the president is willing to hamstring our military as it faces growing threats like ISIS and al Qaeda unless he can waste more of our tax dollars on things like the EPA is absurd.”

U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx, R-5, and Alma Adams, D-12, did not release statements following the veto.