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Paul Delays Defense Bill Vote Over Troop Drawdowns

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - A Senate vote on a wide-ranging defense policy bill was
   delayed Thursday after Republican Rand Paul objected to the measure,
   casting the next steps in doubt and raising the slim prospect of a
   government shutdown if a short-term spending bill caught up in the
   dispute is not approved by Friday.

   Paul said on the Senate floor that he opposed a provision in the
   defense bill that would limit President Donald Trump's ability to draw
   down U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Germany. His objections
   threatened another must-pass bill, a one-week spending measure that
   would keep the government open through December 18. The House has
   passed the stopgap measure, but a government shutdown would occur if
   the Senate does not act on it by midnight Friday.

   Paul said he would drop his objection if GOP leaders allowed a final
   vote on the National Defense Authorization Act on Monday. Senators from
   both parties were eager to finish work on the bill this week.

   Seeking leverage

   Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said he thought Paul
   -- who has provoked government shutdowns before -- was using the time
   crunch for maximum leverage to remove the provision on troop
   withdrawals.

   "I think he's just trying to figure out ways to derail the bill. And '¦
   when you're in the U.S Senate that's your prerogative. But most of our
   people would like to get it done" Thursday, Thune said.

   "His thing is just to delay this and use all the time, so it pushes the
   vote on [the defense bill] into next week, which pushes the override
   vote" on a possible Trump veto into the following week, Thune said of
   Paul.

   Paul said he was concerned that the troop amendment "creates 535
   commanders-in-chief in Congress" and hampers the president's ability to
   deploy troops as he sees fit. Democrats support the measure because
   they oppose Trump, Paul said, but the amendment would also apply to
   future presidents, including President-elect Joe Biden.

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