Levin doesn’t think much of the Bush Administration’s vow to veto the 2006 defense authorization bill. In fact, he thinks it’s bluster. The White House says it will nix the bill unless Congress excises references to new standards for treatment of detainees in the war on terror. No way, said the Democrat, because it would make the Administration look terrible politically. “No matter what the threat is, to veto a bill like that … is a false threat.” He added, “I don’t think [the Administration] will.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
