Excerpt:
After a long fight led by Texas lawmakers, the Senate just passed a defense reauthorization bill that includes a provision to make victims of the Fort Hood terrorist attack eligible to receive Purple Hearts.
The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2015 easily passed 89-11 as the upper chamber wraps up the final business of the 113th Congress.
The "no" votes came from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).