WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Democrats voted Wednesday to block the Senate from moving forward with an energy and water spending bill due to a proposed amendment related to Iran.
The Senate voted 50 to 46 in favor of invoking cloture on the bill, falling well short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation.
Passage of the $37.5 billion energy and water spending bill was expected to kick start the appropriations process.
However, Democrats objected to an amendment from Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., that would prevent the Obama administration from purchasing heavy water from Iran.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., described Cotton's amendment as a 'poison pill' that would trigger a presidential veto.
'For the appropriations process to continue productively, Senator McConnell needs to find a way to stop being blindsided by his fellow Republicans,' Reid said.
He added, 'Democrats are ready to support the Energy and Water bill as long as it is free of poison pill riders like the Cotton amendment.'
Democrats view the amendment as the beginning of an effort to use the appropriations process to prevent the effective implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., entered a motion to reconsider the vote at a later time, and Cotton indicated he was willing to work with Democrats on his amendment.
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