“There’s a plan to assemble a billion-dollar ballroom, gold plated, with none motion by Congress to authorize it,” Merkley stated on the Senate flooring. “This modification may be very easy, it says that congressional authorization is required to proceed.”
The measure failed to succeed in the 60 votes required for passage, falling quick with a 53-46 rely.
However in a reminder that concern concerning the costly undertaking is spanning throughout occasion aisles, seven Republican Senators voted in favor of the modification.
Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana all voted “yea.”
Collins, Husted, and Sullivan’s votes have been significantly noteworthy, as all three Republicans are going through robust re-election bids later this yr.
Cassidy—who misplaced a aggressive Republican main final month after President Donald Trump endorsed a rival candidate—initially voted towards the modification, however he later requested the chamber to alter his vote.






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