Senate

McConnell tees up vote on defense bill

by Jordain Carney - 10/01/15 3:07 PM ET

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday teed up an annual defense authorization bill for a procedural vote next week.

The Republican leader filed cloture on the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was passed by the House earlier Thursday after being released by the House-Senate conference committee on Tuesday.

{mosads}”We’ll turn to the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act. It did receive the signature of two Democratic senators,” the Kentucky senator told reporters ahead of his procedural moves on the Senate floor. “I hope we’re not going to see this stunt again next week on the defense authorization bill.”

Democrats blocked the Senate from moving forward with a spending bill that funds veterans’ benefits and military construction, and have pledged to block any bill that doesn’t roll back sequestration caps for both defense and non-defense spending.

The Senate passed its version of the NDAA in June by a 71-25 vote, including the support of approximately 18 Democrats. Even if the bill does land on President Obama’s desk, he has pledged to veto the $612 billion legislation over an extra $38 billion in war funding.

The president has threatened to veto every NDAA since he came into office, but never done so. Republicans argue Obama is linking the defense bill to a larger funding fight over rolling back congressionally mandated budget caps for defense and non-defense spending.

Tags Mitch McConnell