Votes on the Senate’s annual defense policy bill could be delayed until next week following an objection by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., on Wednesday.
Toomey wants the chamber to allow a vote on legislation seeking to clamp down on foreign investment in the U.S. by China and others that could pose national security risks. His objection forced a time-consuming procedural move that requires a Senate vote to end debate before taking up the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.
“I hope this is just going to be a speed bump on the way to getting on to the NDAA because that is very important legislation that I want to get on to,” Toomey said. “That’s all I’m looking for is to have a vote on my germane amendment.”
The move rankled top senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee who wrote the massive policy bill and were eager to pass it. They warned Toomey’s push could also end up scuttling any deal allowing votes on NDAA amendments.
“One of the things I really don’t like about the procedure is one person, any one person, Democrat or Republican, can object … and cause us to have to file cloture,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., who is the senior Republican on Armed Services in Sen. John McCain’s absence.
Inhofe said he had been working with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the Armed Services ranking member, to allow up to 15 amendments each from Republicans and Democrats to get votes on the floor.
“This could have the effect of ultimately closing the door to everyone who has an amendment and we don’t want that. But we did everything we could to stop an objection from taking place so that we could at least move on to the bill,” Inhofe said.
Toomey’s amendment came of out the Senate Banking Committee and would bolster the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which monitors the foreign investments.
“Each and every year people see this as the only train leaving town and we have to be able to keep in balance that this about the Department of Defense and related agencies,” Reed said.
