The Senate unanimously voted on Wednesday to move forward on the fiscal 2017 defense policy bill, despite Democratic objections that they did not have enough time to read the lengthy bill that they say is chock full of senators’ pet projects.
Senators voted 98-0 to advance the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. Further debate is expected to continue this week.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., slammed the Democrats in his opening statement for two days of “needless delay.”
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tried by unanimous consent to begin debate on the bill on Monday, but Minority Leader Harry Reid objected and forced Wednesday’s cloture vote.
“There’s no need for further delay from our Democratic colleagues,” McConnell said.
But Reid, R-Nev., said senators need to take time to understand the 1,664-page bill and make sure they’re doing the right thing.
“Chairman McCain may have read this, he may understand every line in it. He would have a better chance than most of us because he’s the one who conducted the hearings behind closed doors. Secret sessions. Few outside the committee probably know what’s in this bill,” Reid said.
The Senate Armed Services Committee held its full-committee mark up of the bill this month in a session closed to the press and the public, a practice that has occurred when the committee was controlled by members of both parties.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters that keeping the hearing closed to the public is the best way to handle matters of national security.
“I think the closed session was an appropriate way to get the bill done,” Reed said.
Reid said that the bill is “loaded with special projects” that lawmakers that require more scrutiny.
“Loaded with them,” he said. “Sprinkled with special favors in many different flavors.”
Reid also pushed back on Republican criticism that Democrats were the ones dragging their heels, noting that the bill was not even finished until 5 p.m. Tuesday night, when the committee approved the classified annex to the bill.
