US Senate blocks $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill

The US Senate on Tuesday blocked a procedural vote to advance the $1.15 trillion annual defense authorization bill.

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) failed 50-46, falling short of the 60 votes needed to move the legislation forward.

The vote broke along party lines, with the exception of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who switched his vote from “yes” to “no” in order to preserve the ability to bring the motion back for reconsideration at a later date.

Four senators were absent for the vote: John Fetterman, Jim Justice , Mitch McConnell and Alex Padilla.

The bill was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee last mont in an 18-9 bipartisan vote, but divisions between Republicans and Democrats have intensified in recent weeks as lawmakers have been unable to resolve disputes over overall defense and non-defense spending caps.

Democrats also pointed to the renewed US military conflict with Iran and President Donald Trump’s decision not to seek Congressional authorization for the operation, which began on Feb. 28, as a key factor in their opposition to the NDAA.