Washington (CNN) When an annual defense spending bill was passed by the House of Representatives this week, it was stripped of multiple measures to compel tougher consequences on Saudi Arabia for human rights abuses, three congressional sources familiar with the legislation told CNN.

The removal of these measures was spearheaded by congressional Republicans leading the negotiations, who found themselves under pressure from the White House, the sources said.

The final version gave Democrats and Republicans victories, and authorized paid parental leave of 12 weeks for federal workers for the first time.

But it prompted deep frustration among those who have been critical of President Donald Trump's relationship with Saudi Arabia . Trump has consistently touted Saudi purchases of US weapons systems and sought to shield the kingdom's leadership from being vilified by the murder Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Washington Post journalist who lived in the US.

A measure to immediately revoke the visas of those responsible for the Khashoggi murder was yanked from the final version of the spending bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act. The measure was included in the Saudi Human Rights Accountability Act -- bipartisan legislation that would have implemented this move -- that passed in the House by a vote of 405-7 earlier this year.

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