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Local congressman defends defense spending bill
U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Jacksonville, supported the passage of next year’s National Defense Authorization Act when it was approved by Congress last week. When it passed the House, 35 Republicans voted against the measure, calling it “bloated and irresponsible.” One described it as “a 4,408-page, $860 billion bill crafted behind closed doors, dropped on the…