Senate Struggles with Debt Ceiling Bill and Defense Spending Levels.

Negotiations to quickly approve the debt ceiling deal in the Senate have hit a snag as defense hawks and top appropriations Republicans demand a commitment from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to blunt some of the debt limit and budget deal’s effects. They want Schumer to commit to a standalone, supplemental defense spending bill, as well as pledge to take up all 12 annual appropriations bills as a condition for moving forward quickly. Without unanimous agreement on a voting and amendment deal, the Senate won’t be able to begin voting on the legislation until Saturday, which could delay final passage until next week.