Senate rejects effort to increase defense by $18 billion

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday shot down a bid to increase the Pentagon’s budget by nearly $18 billion to pay for more weapons and troops, a bitter loss for defense hawks who pushed for the infusion of money to begin reversing what they say is a decline in the U.S. military’s readiness for combat.
Democrats demanded but failed to secure an equal boost in spending for nondefense programs, including efforts to combat the Zika virus and opioid addiction.
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