The GOP leaders are sealing up the agreements to bypass a sweeping defense bill, after Republicans obstruct the bill earlier this week, throwing it into limbo.
the GOP leaders are sealing up the agreements to bypass a sweeping defense bill, after Republicans obstruct the bill earlier this week, throwing it into limbo.
Senate Democrats and Republicans Neared Agreement
Senate Democrats and Republicans neared agreement as they met to check with all 100 senators to see if anyone would disagree with the deal and to hold votes.
After the votes on the 21 amendments, the Senate would, later on, gather votes for the final passage of the defense bill. Furthermore, the package of amendments includes a proposal from Sen. James Risch (Idaho), the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, that would impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a Senate aide said.
The initial package of 18 amendments of the bill that GOP tries to catch a deal before Thanksgiving. Furthermore, that package did not include the amendment related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, with the Biden administration urging members to block the amendment.
Risch is one of the Republicans who are not in favor of the package of amendments to the defense bill because his proposal was not included imposing sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG. The company head of the project allows Congress to override presidential waiver authority. Moreover, many of the Republicans believe that considering to purvey the amendments would force Democrats to take politically mind-blowing votes against the Biden administration.
The Revision of the Defense Bill
Last Monday, the Republicans barricades a mammoth Defense Bill after putting a side of the legislation into limbo. In addition, the House also includes the amendment in its version of the defense bill to require sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 AG pipeline.
The deal was to shift from Monday night when the defense bill was still stuck in limbo after Republicans blocked it but senators indicated throughout on Tuesday, that they were continuing to switch offers in hopes of breaking the blockage.
However, GOP senators sided with the demand for a vote on Nord Stream 2 sanctions as part of the Senate’s debate against the defense bill. On the contrary, the House also added some prevision to the amendments in its version of the defense bill to have the required sanctions on the pipeline.
