WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., blocked debate on the military sexual assault bill so the Senate could vote on new sanctions against Iran.

Sponsor of the assault bill Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., aggressively responded to the move by the Republican senator: "But when the Senate can't even agree to debate the one reform that survivors have consistently said is needed to solve this crisis, we are telling those victims that the deck is stacked against them right here in the United States Senate, too."


Despite Majority Leader Harry Reid's, D-Nev., promise of an expedited process for the bill to Gillibrand and co-sponsor Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Moran delayed debate. He refused to join the other senators for unanimous consent to proceed with the debate, forcing them to run out the 30-hour clock for debate, according to Senate rules. This only delays the issue, and it may be for nothing as President Obama has said that even if the Senate passes new Iran sanctions, he will veto them.

[HuffPost Live]