Senate Democrats blocked the annual defense authorization bill Tuesday, weaponizing a procedural vote to protest the Trump administration's intensifying military exchange with Iran and what they call a reckless approach to the conflict.
All attending Democrats voted against advancing the National Defense Authorization Act, denying it the 60 votes required to move forward. The blockade came as the fiercest week of US-Iranian fire in recent memory played out, despite Congress passing a war powers resolution last month intended to restrain the administration's military operations in the region.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer framed the hold as a matter of principle, arguing Republicans wanted to proceed with the defense bill's routine passage as though a major national security crisis was not unfolding. "We cannot" treat those matters separately, he said, accusing the GOP of ignoring what Democrats consider the government's most pressing security concern.
Schumer also unleashed a sharper critique of Trump's handling of Iran directly. "He had no plan and no exit strategy on day one of this reckless war," the New York Democrat said. "We're on day 136, and nothing has changed."
The timing coincided with Trump's shifting stance on a proposed tariff on shipping. Earlier in the week the president had threatened to impose a 20% "security" fee on vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane. He reversed course Tuesday during a White House meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, saying he opposed any such fee but insisting the United States should not bear the burden of protecting the strait for the world.
Republicans moved quickly to criticize the Democratic blockade. Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of letting "the politics of obstruction" drive their decisions, warning that blocking the NDAA meant putting partisan concerns ahead of military personnel. "I certainly hope that Democrats won't now put politics ahead of support for our men and women in uniform," he said.
The stalled bill would authorize $1.15 trillion in defense spending for the coming fiscal year, matching the administration's budget request. The legislation also includes military pay raises and funding for new drone systems and counter-drone technology that Pentagon leaders say will be essential for confronting rival powers in future conflicts.
Author James Rodriguez: "Democrats are playing hardball with one of the few bills Congress always passes together, but the gambit reveals how thoroughly Trump's Iran policy has fractured the chamber's traditional bipartisan defense consensus."
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