Obama likely to sign revised defense bill into law: White House

Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an Organizing for Action event in Washington November 9, 2015. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will likely sign a revised version of the National Defense Authorization Act into law because he believes it contains important provisions, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday.

"What the president does believe though is that there are a number of provisions in the NDAA that are important to running and protecting the country. So that's why I would expect you'd see the president sign the NDAA when it comes to his desk, whenever it comes to his desk," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

"That certainly does not reflect a change in our position, or the intensity of our position, about the need to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay," Earnest said.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the sweeping defense policy bill that contained provisions that could make it more difficult for Obama to carry out his pledge to close the detention center in Cuba.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Paul Simao)