President Obama has signed into law the two major congressional measures of the past month: a Pentagon spending bill and a new budget for 2014. The military bill bars the transfer of Guantánamo Bay prisoners to the United States, but frees up their release to foreign countries. In a signing statement, Obama called the U.S. transfer ban “unwise” and said he will continue to work for its removal. The measure also keeps military sexual assault cases within the chain of command while adding some new protections for survivors. The budget bill averts a government shutdown early next year, but ignores the extension of jobless benefits for the unemployment that expired this week.
Obama Signs Pentagon, Budget Laws
HeadlineDec 27, 2013