Grassley doesn’t rule out NDAA rejection

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said he hoped to vote in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act in the near future, but made no promises if the bill is bogged down by unrelated amendments.

In his Capitol Hill report Tuesday morning, Grassley stressed the importance of the traditionally bipartisan legislation, which lays out the annual budget for the Department of Defense.

“The number one responsibility of the federal government is to defend the American people, and we’ve got to look at it that way,” he said in an interview Tuesday morning. “That’s why … hopefully by the end of this week, we’ve kept our promise of making sure our military has the equipment it needs to carry out its job.”

Still, Grassley said a vote against the bill was on the table in the event of disagreeable amendments, but did not specify any such changes he would or would not favor.

“I think we have some 400 amendments that people want to file … I’d have to see the final package before I have a judgment to make,” he said. “Most of the time, I support for appropriation bills, but sometimes there’s something put in that’s so obnoxious, you vote against it.”

While that could mean voting against the appropriations, the senator stressed that he supported its premise wholeheartedly,

"It doesn’t mean that I don’t believe what the Constitution requires, … that the number one responsibility is to defend the people,“ he said.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com