At about 11 p.m. on Wednesday night, with almost no debate, the Senate added a section that would double the budget of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Pentagon research agency. Hours before the legislation was slated to pass, senators were still drafting major components, such as a major trade measure that would reauthorize a lapsed provision that allows for the temporary suspension of tariffs on specific products imported into the United States. It would also direct the United States trade representative to negotiate agreements on forced labor and critical minerals. In a closed-door luncheon on Wednesday, Republicans tried to persuade their colleagues to delay passage of the bill. Democrats had allowed votes on more than a dozen Republican amendments, but the threat of a filibuster to block the legislation resulted in a last-ditch round of haggling behind closed doors, as leaders stretched out a 15-minute procedural vote by four hours.

Source: New York Times May 27, 2021 22:52 UTC