Obama May Veto DADT Repeal Over Aircraft Spending Provisions

Even if the defense appropriations bill to which the repeal of DADT is attached makes it through the Senate, the president may veto it over certain spending provisions to which he is opposed. Yesterday Robert Gates repeated the veto threat to Fox News.

Robert Gates, speaking on Fox News Sunday, said the president was against any move by Congress to fund the C-17 cargo plane or an alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. He said: "It would be a very serious mistake to believe that the president would not veto a bill that has the C-17 or the alternative engine in it just because it had other provisions that the president and the administration want." When asked whether Mr Obama would veto the bill even if it included provisions to repeal the ban on out gay soldiers, Mr Gates replied: "I think so." The gay ban, also known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', is expected to remain in place until at least next year as a military review is scheduled to last until December.

The full Senate is expected to take up the bill next month.