President Barack Obama has vetoed a sweeping $612 billion defense policy bill in a rebuke to congressional Republicans.

Obama says the bill does a number of good things, but falls woefully short in other areas. He says it “resorts to gimmicks.”

The White House invited reporters and photographers to watch Obama veto the bill in the Oval Office.

Obama says he opposes the bill because it uses creative budget maneuvers to boost defense spending by $38 billion without increasing domestic spending. Obama wants higher spending for both.

Obama also disapproves of provisions that would make it harder to close the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The veto forces Congress to revise the bill, or try to settle a larger budget dispute that led Obama to veto it.

(AP)