When congressional Republicans proposed a bill to authorize military programs for 2003, it came with some controversial provisions. The bill allowed the military to study using nuclear weapons for "conventional" war; it gave the military an exemption from certain environmental laws for military training exercises; and it permitted the beginnings of a missile defense system. Because Progressives were opposed to nuclear warfare of any kind, opposed to what they saw as an expensive and unworkable missile defense system, and opposed to special exemptions from environmental laws, they were opposed to the whole bill as well. Joining them in opposition was Taylor (D-MS), who opposed the bill because he was not allowed to propose an amendment to stop the next round of military base closings. To gum up the works, Taylor moved to rise from the Committee of the Whole-an entirely procedural motion that required the House to spend time casting a vote. Progressives supported the motion because they favored stalling the forward march of the bill. The motion failed, 46-356, but victory was not the object: the object was to bring the House to a standstill in the hope that the Republican majority would be forced to change the bill, or at least to allow Progressives to propose amendments to it. This was only one of many attempts that together took debate into the small hours of the morning.