Gates: Veto of military gay ban bill possible

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Sunday that President Obama could end up vetoing legislation that would lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Mr. Obama supports repealing the law, and the White House has pushed for quicker congressional action than the Pentagon has favored. Mr. Gates also supports repeal.

But Mr. Gates told “Fox News Sunday” that Mr. Obama still probably would veto an upcoming spending bill that includes the repeal if the bill also contains money for defense projects he says are wasteful.

Mr. Gates wants to get rid of an aircraft engine and additional transport aircraft that some lawmakers want to keep. They generally represent areas with defense contractors that would stand to lose business from the cuts.

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