The US House of Representatives late on Thursday passed a $601.4 billion defence spending bill despite a veto threat by the White House. The House passed the bill to fund the Pentagon operation for the fiscal year beginning on October 1 on a 384-to-23 vote after many hours of debate about the measure and 58 amendments.
The White House on Thursday objected to the bill over 10 provisions, including a cut of over $700 million in missile defence and a move to review the role of foreign subsidies in a $35 billion aerial tanker deal. "If the final bill presented to the president contains any of the following provisions, the president's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill," the White House said in a statement.
The House Armed Services Committee last week on a 61-to-0 vote adopted many amendments despite the White House veto threat. The Senate Armed Services Committee has already passed a similar bill, which is due to be debated in the full Senate in June. Once each house has passed its version of the spending bill, it must be reconciled by House and Senate negotiators before the president can sign it into law.
The White House argued that the House bill would "retroactively change the rules of the KC-45 tanker competition, risk extended litigation, and could delay the Air Force's ability to obtain equipment that is critical for combat and humanitarian relief operations."
The Government Accountability Office is due to rule by June 19 on a protest by Boeing Co about the aircraft contract, awarded in February to Northrop Grumman Corp and its European subcontractor, Airbus parent EADS. The Democratic-controlled House approved $10.2 billion in funding for missile defence, $719 million less than the Pentagon requested, but $212.6 million above the current level.
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