Huffington Post: GOP Senator Blocks Votes On Military Sexual Assault To Push Iran Sanctions
The Huffington Post reports:
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, blocked a bid Monday to vote on bills to combat sexual assault in the military, saying he wanted a vote on Iran sanctions in return.
Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have each been pursuing legislation to curb abuse in the armed forces, where a recent report said some 26,000 women and men are sexually assaulted every year. They’ve been trying for votes on their competing measures since late last year, when both bills were pushed aside amid the crush of must-pass legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had promised McCaskill and Gillibrand they would get their votes. On Monday afternoon, he sought unanimous consent to skip many of the procedural hurdles and vote on their bills after some four hours of debate.
