Democrats block Defense spending bill as shutdown tensions rise
Story by Alexander Bolton • 3d
Senate Democrats voted Thursday to block the annual, full-year Defense appropriations bill, despite the measure passing out of committee with strong bipartisan support earlier this year.
The vote is the latest sign of deteriorating bipartisan relations on Capitol Hill as the government shutdown drags into a third week.
The Senate voted 50-44 against proceeding to the bill after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) objected to considering the Defense spending bill without also voting on the annual Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill. It needed 60 votes to advance.
“It’s always been unacceptable to Democrats to do the Defense bill without other bills that have so many things that are important to the American people in terms of health care, in terms of housing, in terms of safety,” Schumer told reporters before the vote.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-block-defense-spending-bill-as-shutdown-tensions-rise/ar-AA1OBZA7?ocid=BingNewsSerp
