The Senate on Thursday passed its massive annual defense policy bill after lawmakers reached a deal earlier in the day to unlock the stalled legislation.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed on a 77-20 vote. It had passed the House last month, and now the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services panels are on the clock to negotiate a compromise bill before the end of the year.

The NDAA came to the Senate floor in early September but had seen little movement since, until Thursday morning. Action on the bill was stalled as all 100 senators must agree to hold votes on amendments, with several sticking points causing a handful of lawmakers to halt the process.

But Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) secured an agreement to vote on 17 stand-alon

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