Bob Dole: “Today we again consider the fiscal year 1996 Defense authorization bill. We are voting on this bill again today because…”

“Today we again consider the fiscal year 1996 Defense authorization bill. We are voting on this bill again today because the President vetoed the first bill the Congress sent to him. President Clinton vetoed the first Defense authorization bill because of his insistence that America remain vulnerable to ballistic missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction--and because of his insistence that American soldiers be permitted to serve under the blue flag of the United Nations. I believe that the White House is wrong on both accounts. Defending America should be the No. 1 defense priority. The U.N. Secretary General is no substitute for the Commander in Chief. I know that many of my colleagues, including the Republican members of the Armed Services Committee agree with me. Because the annual Defense authorization bill is critical for the operations of the Department of Defense and contains many provisions crucial to the well-being of the men and women of our Armed Forces, the distinguished chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Thurmond, crafted a bill that would be signed by the President.”