North Dakota – “Senate Democrats and Chuck Schumer blocked the NDAA from advancing on the Senate floor,” Sen. Kevin Cramer said. “They’re willing to punish our servicemembers. They’re jeopardizing their compensation, benefits, weapon systems, and personal security — just to make a political point about @POTUS’ actions toward Iran. That’s not leadership; it’s insane and shallow.”
Cramer’s comments came after Senate Democrats blocked a procedural vote to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a major annual defense policy bill that sets priorities and funding authorities for the U.S. military.
The Senate vote on July 14 failed to reach the 60 votes needed to move the legislation forward, with the measure receiving 50 votes in favor and 46 opposed. Democrats opposed advancing the bill over concerns about President Donald Trump’s handling of military action involving Iran, arguing that the NDAA should not move forward without addressing broader questions about the conflict, Reuters reported.
The NDAA has historically been one of the major pieces of legislation considered by Congress each year and typically receives bipartisan support. The 2026 version included funding and policy provisions related to military readiness, service member programs, and national defense priorities, per reports.
Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, accused Senate Democrats of using the defense bill as a political tool to challenge Trump’s actions toward Iran, arguing that the move could affect members of the military who rely on the legislation.
“Just to make a political point about @POTUS’ actions toward Iran,” Cramer wrote, criticizing Democrats for opposing the bill.
Republicans, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, also criticized the decision to block the bill from advancing. Wicker said the NDAA would provide important support for service members and argued that disagreements over Iran policy should be handled through debate and amendments rather than preventing the legislation from moving forward.
Democrats, however, said their opposition was directly tied to the Trump administration’s actions involving Iran. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would not support moving forward with the defense bill while objecting to what they described as an unauthorized military conflict and a lack of clarity regarding the administration’s strategy.
“The NDAA cannot become a permission slip for that recklessness that we see occurring in Iran,” Schumer said ahead of the vote, arguing that Congress should address concerns over the conflict before approving additional defense measures.
The dispute created a partisan divide over the traditionally bipartisan defense legislation. Supporters of the bill argued that delaying the NDAA could create uncertainty for military planning and personnel programs, while opponents said the vote was an opportunity to pressure the administration over its foreign policy decisions.
The Senate is expected to continue negotiations over the NDAA as lawmakers work toward advancing a final version of the defense policy package.
Cramer’s remarks reflected growing Republican criticism of Democrats’ decision, while Democratic leaders maintained that their vote was focused on congressional oversight and the administration’s approach to Iran.
Sen. Cramer says Senate Democratic Leader Schumer is "willing to punish servicemembers" over President Trump’s Iran actions by blocking the NDAA
