develop a rail-mobile launcher for the MX ICBM. See "Message to the House of Representatives Returning Without Approval the National Defense Authorization Act," Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Ronald Reagan 1988-89, vol. 2, pp. 1017-1018.
Subsequently, Congress sent the President H.R. 4481, a second authorization bill for FY1989—with the contested provisions removed—which he signed into law on September 29, 1988 (P.L. 100-456).
FY1996 National Defense Authorization Act
President Clinton vetoed H.R. 1530, the first FY1996 defense authorization bill, on December 28, 1995. In his veto message, the President singled out as particularly objectionable a Senate-originated provision calling on DOD to be ready to deploy by 2003 a multi-site ballistic missile defense system to protect U.S. territory. Clinton contended that this provision was inconsistent with the 1972 U.S.-Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and, therefore, could induce Moscow to abandon other arms control agreements. See "Message to the House of Representatives Returning Without Approval the National Defense Authorization Act," Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton 1995, vol. 2, pp. 1929-1930.
The House sustained the veto on January 3, 1996 after which Congress sent the President a second bill (S. 1124), which omitted the missile defense mandate and some other provisions to which he had objected, which he signed on February 10, 1996 (P.L. 104-106).
FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act
On December 28, 2007, President George W. Bush vetoed H.R. 1585, citing as the reason Section 1083 of the bill which would have made assets of the Iraqi government that were located in the United States liable to seizure in lawsuits filed by persons who had been victims of the government of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In his veto message, the President contended that the post-Saddam Iraqi government would need those assets to help the country recover from the adverse effects of Saddam's rule. See "Memorandum to the House of Representatives Returning Without Approval the National Defense Authorization Act," Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush 2007, vol. 2, pp. 1592-1594.
Subsequently, Congress sent the White House a second FY2008 authorization bill (H.R. 4986), from which the disputed provision was dropped, which the President signed on January 28, 2008 (P.L. 110-181).
Military Construction Authorization Vetoes, FY1966 and FY1977
On August 21, 1965, President Johnson vetoed H.R. 8439, the FY1966 Military Construction Authorization Bill, citing provisions that would have limited the ability of the President to close military bases. See "Veto of the Military Authorization Bill," Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson 1965, vol. 2, pp. 907-909. A second bill with less restrictive base closing provisions (H.R. 10775) subsequently was enacted as P.L. 89-188.
Only July 2, 1976, President Ford vetoed H.R. 8439, the FY1977 Military Construction Authorization Bill, also because of base closure limitations in the bill. U.S. President (Ford), "Veto of the Military Construction Bill," Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Gerald R. Ford 1976, vol. 2, pp. 1953-1954. A second bill with less restrictive base closing provisions (H.R. 14846) subsequently was enacted as P.L. 94-431.
