Senate Democrats block must-pass defense policy bill over Iran war objections

Senate Democrats blocked a must-pass annual defense policy bill from moving forward on Tuesday as they voiced opposition to the Trump administration's handling of the war with Iran.

"The NDAA, in my view, has become a referendum on the Iran war," Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told reporters Tuesday.

In a 50 to 46 vote, the Senate opposed an initial procedural vote to advance the National Defense Authorization Act. Senate Majority Leader John Thune voted against it, a move that allows him to bring up the bill again.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the timing of the vote to proceed to the NDAA, noting that the White House formally notified Congress on Monday that hostilities have resumed in Iran.

"Yet Republicans want the Senate to take up the NDAA, the defense bill, as though none of this is happening?" Schumer said ahead of the vote. "As though Congress can debate the nation's central national security bill while ignoring the nation's most urgent national security crisis? We cannot. I will be voting no."

"The NDAA cannot become a permission slip for that recklessness that we see occurring in Iran," he added.

The NDAA sets lawmakers' defense priorities and usually passes with broad bipartisan support. Thune urged Democrats to support the bill Tuesday morning.

"Republicans are ready to go," Thune said. "The question is, how will Democrats vote today?"

Thune said he saw "no reason" for Democrats to oppose, but he argued that "Democrats have allowed the politics of obstruction to determine so many of their actions for the last year and a half."

"I certainly hope that Democrats won't now put politics ahead of support for our men and women in uniform," he said. "But that's up to them."

Thune touted the bill's 3.6% pay raise for troops, along with other investments in education, housing, health care and childcare.