Describing the education system as a neglected pillar of a national security strategy, President Obama reiterated his opposition to a mandatory defense policy bill that is nearing completion in both houses of Congress.
In a press briefing focused on ongoing operations against the Islamic State, Obama reaffirmed his threat to veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The administration has said that the bill is part of Republicans’ strategy to boost military spending without adequately funding other domestic programs.
“We’ve got an incredible research operation and universities that allow us to create new products that can be translated into our military superiority around the world,” Obama said.
“We shortchange those, we’re going to be less secure,” he added.
The dust-up between the White House and the Republicans Congress over the NDAA centers on statutory budget ceilings.
War hawks and staunch supporters of fiscal austerity within the GOP have drafted spending bills to shield the defense department from the mandatory “sequestration” spending caps, while leaving those same restrictions on non-defense agencies. .
The White House has called for sequestration, which was created by the 2011 Budget Control Act, to be completely repealed.
“We’re not going to eat our seed corn by devoting too much money on things we don’t need now and robbing our self of the capacity to make sure we’re prepared for future threats,” Obama said Monday, adding that “part of our national security is making sure we continue to have a strong economy and we continue to make the investment we need in education and research that are going to be vital for us to be successful long-term.”
The NDAA passed by the Senate last month authorized increasing funding to a portion of the Pentagon’s budget not affected by the Budget Control Act. Although it received the support of 71 Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, a slightly different version of the legislation failed to garner a veto-proof majority in the House, bolstering President Obama’s hand in the showdown as both chamber resolve their differences.
Other non-controversial measures within the NDAA, including compensation for members of the military, could be affected should the White House and Congress fail to reach a deal. President Obama, however, downplayed those fears.
“Our men and women are going to get paid,” he told reporters. “If you’ll note, I’ve now been president for six and half years, we’ve had some wrangling in the past, our service members have not missed a paycheck.”
