US Senate Fails to Advance Defense Budget Bill, Lawmakers Mull Adding Anti-Russia Measures

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Senate failed to end debate on the updated version of the 2022 defense budget bill.
Sputnik
The US Senate vote failed 45-51 on Monday.
Five Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent, joined all Republicans in voting against advancing the defense spending bill. Sixty votes were needed to advance the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jim Inhofe voted against advancing the bill in order to give Senators more time to try to include more amendments in the bill.
McConnell in earlier remarks on the Senate floor said the upper chamber should debate about Russia's military activities near the border with Ukraine and consider measures against Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
According to US media, President Joe Biden is urging Democrats in the Senate to reject new sanctions in defense budget that target Nord Stream 2 in order to avoid isolating Germany as tensions build on the Russia-Ukraine border.
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