Senate Democrats blocked a once-bipartisan human trafficking bill over abortion language they said they failed to notice when they sponsored the legislation.
The vote was 55-43, falling seven votes shy of the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster. The vote creates uncertainty not only for the legislation but for the Senate calendar.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said a planned vote this week on the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch is now uncertain because of the gridlock on the human trafficking bill.
The bill would provide $30 million in restitution fees to help victims of human trafficking. Republicans included language preventing the money from being used for abortions. Democrats who both co-sponsored the bill and cleared it unanimously in committee on March 2 now want that language removed.
Democrats say they didn’t notice the abortion provision and Republicans should have told them about it. But Republicans believe Democrats are only reacting to outside pro-abortion groups including Planned Parenthood, who are pressuring them to get the language taking out of the bill.
