Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is retaliating against the House Energy and Commerce Committee for stripping provisions he favored from the annual defense bill, and he’s vowing to block every unanimous consent effort to pass bills from the committee.

A bipartisan group of senators — Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), and James Risch (R-ID) — tried to unanimously pass a measure Thursday banning uranium imports from Russia, but the effort was blocked by the Texas Republican, who blamed the leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for taking out bipartisan provisions in the lower chamber’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act.

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“Until the House begins to take seriously the priorities of the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, and until they change course on the Senate priorities they disregarded arbitrarily, this bill, and potentially others from the chairwoman of this House committee, will not be moving in the Senate by unanimous consent,” Cruz said in his floor remarks.

The bill, sponsored by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and unanimously passed the House on Monday, would ban the import of unirradiated, low-enriched uranium from Russia unless it was determined by the Department of Energy to be absolutely critical to U.S. nuclear operations.

Cruz made clear that he didn’t disagree with the uranium bill and would work with the group of senators to get it passed into law. He said he extended an “olive branch” to work with the House but quipped, “It’s a two-way street.”

Cruz pointed to a few measures killed in the House’s version of the annual defense bill, such as a measure with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) that would streamline permitting requirements for semiconductor plants. The provision was axed in negotiations in the House, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) going against broad bipartisan support in favor of the preferences of individual committee chairs, such as Rodgers, according to Bloomberg. Rodgers supposedly did not want to give way on chips-specific permitting exemptions while looking to make broader reform. 

According to a person involved with the NDAA negotiations, there was bipartisan opposition from multiple House committees of jurisdiction.

Another provision authored by Cruz, with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would require manufacturers of smart devices equipped with a camera or microphone to disclose that information to consumers before a purchase.

Manchin committed to helping Cruz get his measures passed but pressed for urgent passage of the uranium bill, stating that “this is the wrong one to use” to leverage for other priorities.

“I guarantee you, Russia needs the money for their war machine, and they’ll keep dumping and dumping on us,” Manchin said during his remarks.

The finalized NDAA was passed by the House on Thursday and sent to the White House to be signed into law.

Risch expressed optimism that the bill will ultimately pass, asserting that Cruz’s hold was “just a speed bump.” Others, however, expressed contempt for the political move.

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“I mean, it’s wrong, but it’s the political game many of them play here — 'I didn’t get my way, so I don’t want anybody else to do anything that matters,'" said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

Before Cruz’s objection, Brown had briefly objected to the bill, requesting the leaders of the Senate Energy Committee to help with an effort that would invest in the domestic enrichment of uranium. After Manchin and Barrasso agreed, Brown lifted his hold.