Date: 2015-10-22
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

I want to thank you. Mrs. HARTZLER. for what you have done here. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank you for the opportunity to discuss what has happened here today. As we talked earlier today. I honestly thought there was a chance that we wouldnt be here speaking about this. I thought that maybe this one time our Commander in Chief would do what was right. I hope you will take an opportunity to look at the news. I am looking at it right now. Obama to hold photo op to veto defense bill. Obama plans to hold a photo op in the Oval Office when he uses his veto pen on the National Defense Authorization Act. according to his public schedule. Ladies and gentlemen. when I am around the District. I hear a lot of complaints: Why cant Congress just work together? Why cant you get along? The National Defense Authorization Act came out of the Armed Services Committee 602. 602. There was one Democrat and one Republican that voted against the bill. 602. It came through the House. A significant majority voted for the National Defense Authorization bill on the floor. It passed out of the Senate with over 70 votes. When I am talking to Americans. I have used this as an example of how not everything you see in the press is true. that there are issues like national security that the Democrats and the Republicans in Washington. D.C.. absolutely take very seriously. and when it comes to the wellbeing of our men and women that serve the country and their families and making sure that they have the training and the equipment that they need. that this is an example of how we are able to put partisanship aside and work in the best interest of everybody in the country. most especially those that serve so honorably. And the President held a photo op to veto the bill. I want to thank my fellow colleagues. both Democrats and Republicans. for their work on this bill. Certainly I supported it. I continue to support it. I think one of the things that continues to be mentioned and needs to be mentioned over and over and over again is the President got the total of what he asked for with regard to the authorization of the funds for carrying out the fight against ISIL. for the operations of the military. There were a couple of things in it that he didnt like. One the them was the transfer of terrorists out of Guantanamo Bay. Now. I would just ask that you think about the fact that. since the first NDAA 50 years ago. it has only been vetoed four times. In each instance. there was an agreement effectively prior to the veto on how to resolve it. But not this guy. not this guy. He holds a photo op. He holds a photo op so that he can show off while he vetoes the National Defense Authorization Act. I just hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join us as we work to override the Presidents veto in the House. I honestly believe that we will get the votes in the House to do that. I hope that the Members of the Senate who voted for the National Defense Authorization Act will vote for it again when they have the opportunity to do so after we send the bill over there. after we have overridden the Presidents veto with this piece of legislation in the House. Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to apologize. If the President wont do it. I want to do it. What happened today I think will long be looked upon as one of the worst moments of American leadership. With that. Mrs. HARTZLER. I thank you again for what you have done for the men and women who serve and your service in this House.