By just one vote, the Senate Wednesday rejected a Republican attempt to accelerate work on developing a national missile defense system.
The cloture vote was 59-41, identical to a similarly unsuccessful attempt to bring the bill up last May. The legislation would order implementation of a national missile defense system as soon as it is technologically feasible.
A similar version likely will be debated in the House later this month, where it is expected to win approval.
All 55 Senate Republicans voted for the bill, but just four Democrats-the same ones who supported it in May-crossed party lines to join Republicans. They were Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Ernest (Fritz) Hollings of South Carolina, and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.
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