THE WHITE HOUSE
  
                    Office of the Press Secretary
  
  _______________________________________________________________
  
  For Immediate Release	   	     	        December 28, 1995
  
  TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
  
  
       I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 1530, 
  the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996."
  
       H.R. 1530 would unacceptably restrict my ability to 
  carry out this country's national security objectives and 
  substantially interfere with the implementation of key national 
  defense programs.  It would also restrict the President's 
  authority in the conduct of foreign affairs and as Commander in 
  Chief, raising serious constitutional concerns.
  
       First, the bill requires deployment by 2003 of a costly 
  missile defense system able to defend all 50 States from 
  a long-range missile threat that our Intelligence Community 
  does not foresee in the coming decade.  By forcing such an 
  unwarranted deployment decision now, the bill would waste tens 
  of billions of dollars and force us to commit prematurely to a 
  specific technological option.  It would also likely require a 
  multiple-site architecture that cannot be accommodated within 
  the terms of the existing ABM Treaty.  By setting U.S. policy 
  on a collision course with the ABM Treaty, the bill would 
  jeopardize continued Russian implementation of the START I 
  Treaty as well as Russian ratification of START II -- two 
  treaties that will significantly lower the threat to U.S. 
  national security, reducing the number of U.S. and Russian 
  strategic nuclear warheads by two-thirds from Cold War levels.  
  The missile defense provisions would also jeopardize our current 
  efforts to agree on an ABM/TMD (Theater Missile Defense) 
  demarcation with the Russian Federation.
  
       Second, the bill imposes restrictions on the President's 
  ability to conduct contingency operations essential to national 
  security.  Its restrictions on funding of contingency operations 
  and the requirement to submit a supplemental appropriations 
  request within a time certain in order to continue a contingency 
  operation are unwarranted restrictions on a President's national 
  security and foreign policy prerogatives.  Moreover, by  
  requiring a Presidential certification to assign U.S. 
  Armed Forces under United Nations operational or tactical 
  control, the bill infringes on the President's constitutional 
  authority as Commander in Chief.
  
       Third, H.R. 1530 contains other objectionable provisions 
  that would adversely affect the ability of the Defense 
  Department to carry out national defense programs or impede the 
  Department's ability to manage its day-to-day operations.  For 
  example, the bill includes counterproductive certification 
  requirements for the use of Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat 
  Reduction (CTR) funds and restricts use of funds for individual 
  CTR programs.  
  
       Other objectionable provisions eliminate funding for the 
  Defense Enterprise Fund; restrict the retirement of U.S. 
  strategic delivery systems; slow the pace of the Defense 
  Department's environmental cleanup efforts; and restrict 
  Defense's ability to execute disaster relief, demining, and 
  military-to-military contact programs.  The bill also directs 
  the procurement of specific submarines at specific shipyards 
  although that is not necessary for our military mission to 
  maintain the Nation's industrial base.

       H.R. 1530 also contains two provisions that would unfairly 
  affect certain service members.  One requires medically 
  unwarranted discharge procedures for HIV-positive service 
  members.  In addition, I remain very concerned about provisions 
  that would restrict service women and female dependents of 
  military personnel from obtaining privately funded abortions in 
  military facilities overseas, except in cases of rape, incest, 
  or danger to the life of the mother.  In many countries, these 
  U.S. facilities provide the only accessible, safe source for 
  these medical services.  Accordingly, I urge the Congress to 
  repeal a similar provision that became law in the "Department of 
  Defense Appropriations Act, 1996."
  
       In returning H.R. 1530 to the Congress, I recognize that it 
  contains a number of important authorities for the Department of 
  Defense, including authority for Defense's military construction 
  program and the improvement of housing facilities for our 
  military personnel and their families.  It also contains 
  provisions that would contribute to the effective and efficient 
  management of the Department, including important changes in 
  Federal acquisition law.
  
       Finally, H.R. 1530 includes the authorization for an annual 
  military pay raise of 2.4 percent, which I strongly support.  
  The Congress should enact this authorization as soon as 
  possible, in separate legislation that I will be sending up 
  immediately.  In the meantime, I will today sign an Executive 
  order raising military pay for the full 2.0 percent currently 
  authorized by the Congress and will sign an additional order 
  raising pay by a further 0.4 percent as soon as the Congress 
  authorizes that increase.
  
       I urge the Congress to address the Administration's 
  objections and pass an acceptable National Defense Authorization 
  Act promptly.  The Department of Defense must have the full 
  range of authorities that it needs to perform its critical 
  worldwide missions.
  
  
  
       	    	      	   	     WILLIAM J. CLINTON
  
  
  THE WHITE HOUSE,
      December 28, 1995.
  
  
  
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