The US Senate has failed to advance the $1.15 trillion annual National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), after a vote fell short of the threshold needed to move the legislation forward.
The measure failed 50-46, falling short of the 60 votes required to proceed.
The vote largely split along party lines, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune switching his vote from “yes” to “no” to preserve the option of bringing the motion back for reconsideration at a later date.
Four senators were absent from the vote: John Fetterman, Jim Justice, Mitch McConnell and Alex Padilla.
Funding disputes
The NDAA was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee last month in an 18-9 bipartisan vote, but divisions between Republicans and Democrats have intensified in recent weeks.
