Senate Democrats Block Bill Over Iran Nuclear Amendment

CNN reports: Washington (CNN) Senate Democrats unexpectedly blocked a major spending bill for energy and water programs Wednesday to prevent a vote on a Republican amendment that would ban U.S. tax dollars from being used in the future to buy heavy water from Iran.

Democrats called the amendment from Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas (pictured) a “poison pill” added at the last minute to an otherwise bipartisan $37.5 billion funding bill for the Energy Department and other agencies and said GOP leaders must take steps to shed it or the important spending bill would be lost.

“The onus is on them and we’re not going move forward until this do this,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, a top Democratic leader. “This is totally extraneous and at the last minute.”