Senate Democrats unanimously block $1.14 trillion NDAA over Iran war, first such procedural rejection since 2010

The Senate took a historic vote on Tuesday. For the first time since 2010, the chamber rejected a procedural measure to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that sets the topline for defense spending.

The vote failed along party lines, with every Democrat present voting no. Democratic leadership cited the ongoing war on Iran as the primary justification for delaying the bill's progress.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote: "Donald Trump is dragging America deeper into a war in Iran with no authorization, no plan, and no exit strategy. Democrats will not go along." The question remains: for how long?

Political Dynamics

If Senate Democrats had supported this week's measure, they would have advanced a defense bill approving $1.14 trillion in defense spending amid a deeply unpopular war on Iran, just months before the midterm elections. According to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll released Thursday morning, 68% of Americans believe the Iran War was not worth fighting.

Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, supported the bill in committee and signaled openness to advancing it on the floor. He ultimately joined his caucus in voting no.

The bill excludes $350 billion in defense spending that the White House requested outside of the NDAA, which would bring the defense budget to $1.5 trillion. In May, nearly six in ten Americans thought that figure was too high. Since then, the administration has requested an additional $67 billion in supplemental funding for the Iran War.

War Opposition, or Lack Thereof

In the lead-up to the war, the president ordered the largest naval buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, assembling two aircraft carriers and 16 surface warships in the region.

On January 30, Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a war powers resolution directing the president "to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted." Senator Schumer cosponsored the bill on February 25, a week after senior officials said strikes were imminent and three days before President Trump ordered them.

Senator Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have repeatedly called for the war's end, but strongly criticized the June "Memorandum of Understanding" with Iran, a diplomatic attempt to institute a ceasefire. Senator Schumer took issue with the memorandum's proposed $300 billion in reconstruction and economic development funding for Iran, falsely implying that U.S. taxpayers would pay for it.

When President Trump explored diplomatic engagement with Iran last year, Senator Schumer accused the president of making "side deals" behind the backs of Congress and the American people. He said: "When it comes to negotiating with the terrorist government of Iran, Trump's all over the lot. One day he sounds tough, the next day he's backing off." The senator demanded that Congress approve any deal with the country. A decade ago, he opposed President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran.

The Path Forward

Given this backdrop, what happens next on the NDAA remains uncertain. The Senate may attempt to reconsider the measure to advance the NDAA before the August recess, which begins August 10. It may also return to the NDAA in September or after the midterm elections.

The most plausible path may be to skip floor debate altogether, allowing lawmakers to bypass a full Senate floor debate. This may be ideal for Democratic leadership, given that some Senate Democrats opposed the bill in part because it includes provisions related to the U.S. relationship with Israel.

In a letter sent to Senate Democrats last week, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged their colleagues to oppose the measure.