Defense secretary says bipartisan cooperation looks more likely

With the U.S. Senate advancing a $612 billion defense policy bill to the president's desk earlier this week despite warnings that it would be vetoed, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the tide is turning against the Obama administration.

"As we have observed, the president was attempting to hold the defense budget hostage to demands for more domestic spending, an unprecedented political intrusion into national security during a time of war," Carter said. "The bipartisan repudiation of that approach speaks well of the prospects for more bipartisan cooperation in Congress."

The Senate's defense policy vote on Tuesday was 73-26, which was 13 votes more than necessary to break any filibuster.

"We saw 25 House and four Senate Democrats cross over to vote with Republicans against the Iran deal, which looks even worse in retrospect given Russian and Iranian moves into Syria," Carter added. "Democrats are now scrambling for cover on Iran and voicing concern about our anemic approach to fighting the Islamic State. And now Hillary Clinton is breaking with the president in calling for a no-fly zone over Syria. Perhaps we are arriving at some bipartisan consensus on national security, namely that Obama's policies and judgment are deeply flawed."

Carter maintained that "while the additional defense spending is welcome, it does not match our national security threats, which are still increasing."

"Despite a year of airstrikes, the United States and its allies have failed to rollback ISIS," Carter said. "In fact, the group has largely maintained its core terrorist safe haven while expanding its global footprint."

Carter cited a "homegrown Islamist extremist threat in the United States," and said it had become much more real over the past year.

"There have been more U.S.-based jihadist terror cases in 2015 than in any full year since 9/11," he said.

The Defense secretary expects Congress to "take a more active role during the balance of the Obama term."

"Congress is also likely to act on Iran, extending existing sanctions or passing new ones," he said.