WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has defied a White House veto threat and voted decisively to approve a defense policy bill that authorizes $602 billion in military spending.
The bill passed Tuesday by a vote of 85 to 13.
President Barack Obama objects to numerous provisions in the legislation, including a prohibition on shuttering the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Closing the facility would fulfill one of Obama’s campaign promises.
The White House also is opposed to language in the bill that would limit the size of the president’s National Security Council staff and rejects the Pentagon’s request for a new round of military base closings.
The bill requires young women to register for a military draft. The mandate has angered social conservatives, who fear the mandate is another step toward blurring gender lines.
