Tea Party senator: Americans deserve better Defense bill

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) blasted the authors of the defense bill for including unrelated land use measures.

“We’ve been told by the Senate majority leader the only way to support our soldiers is to support a distorted legislative process,” Lee said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “The American people and especially those serving in uniform deserve better. … I think we can and I think we must.”

{mosads}The Senate is debating the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is expected to vote Friday.

Lee criticized Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for waiting until the end of the year to bring up the legislation. Lawmakers are trying to adjourn for the year by the end of the week so they can celebrate the holidays.

Lee has a particular problem with the more than 60 land use bills that were added to the $585 billion Defense bill. He said those measure have nothing to do with Pentagon programs.

“Now, at the eleventh hour, we’re told that we have to vote for everything in this legislative medley or vote for none of it,” Lee said. “We can do better.”

Lee and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) have objected to allowing a Senate vote sooner than Friday, forcing Democrats to run out the debate clock.