House Democrats closed ranks to pass a massive $733 billion defense policy bill on Friday, teeing up a partisan clash with Senate Republicans over military funding and contentious foreign policy issues
Still, the defense bill breaks with the bipartisan tradition of most years. Republicans, who've boosted military spending with Trump in the White House, slammed the measure for cutting the Pentagon's spending request, arguing it would gut military readiness. And they argued provisions like the bill's ban on fielding new low-yield nuclear warheads would hurt U.S. nuclear deterrence.
"The Democrats, or should I say, many call themselves Socialist Democrats, failed that test," he charged. In the face of GOP opposition, House leaders angled to win over progressives, granting them votes on limiting Trump's ability to make war with Iran, overturning the administration's transgender troop ban, cutting defense spending and curtailing arms sales to Saudi Arabia and support for its military intervention in Yemen's bloody civil war.
Democrats — and even some Republicans — contend Congress should insist on voting on military action. Defense hawks, meanwhile, argue it takes options away from the president to respond to Iran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East. In a nod to progressives, the bill also would provide federal workers with 12 weeks of paid family leave.
Senate Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe , a staunch conservative and Trump ally, is likely to balk at many of House Democrats' positions, including progressive provisions on Iran, Yemen, limiting nuclear weapons and reversing restrictions on transgender troops.
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