Joey Roulette, David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders requested that lawmakers delete language in a bill to fund the development of a lunar lander for NASA. This was part of Sanders’s attempt to eliminate federal funds that could be used to support billionaire Jeff Bezos-owned companies.

This provision forms part of the broad legislation that provides $52 billion for semiconductor manufacturing subsidies. It also authorizes additional funding to increase U.S. scientific and technological research and competitiveness.

Blue Origin (the space company that Bezos owns) would be able to participate in a program for lunar landers. The $10 billion budget is available from 2020 through 2025.

Sanders is a long-time critic of Bezos over what he calls “illegal union activity” at Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ), the tech and commerce firm founded and headed by Bezos. He has also criticized NASA funds as being a $10 billion bailout for Jeff Bezos to support his passion for space. Blue Origin spokesmen declined to comment.

NASA’s funds could be used for a lander contract already awarded by SpaceX, and may also be available to Blue Origin or other companies such as Northrop-Grumman (NYSE: ) Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:) Top defense contractors who had previously partnered with Blue Origin on Blue Origin’s proposal for a moon lander, but now consider lodging individual proposals to NASA.

Sanders’ motion to legislators to negotiate portions of the bill, as seen by Reuters in its entirety, could be put up for a vote by senators within the coming weeks. This is a necessary step before formal negotiations between the Senate and House of Representatives can start.

According to a Senate aide, Democrats offered Wednesday 28 votes for motions. This includes 19 from Republicans.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated Wednesday at a Senate Commerce hearing that Congress needed to fund semiconductors.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this is a national emergency, it is threatening our national security, as well as our economic security,” Raimondo said.

NASA selected a SpaceX proposal as a landing proposal, over Blue Origin’s proposal. The lander was to be capable of placing a crew on the lunar surface. It is expected that NASA will choose SpaceX’s proposal in 2021. Bezos’s space company protested the SpaceX contract but was unsuccessful.

Maria Cantwell, Senator from Massachusetts, has called for NASA to choose a second lunar landing vehicle to encourage commercial competition.

Sanders demanded Tuesday that President Joe Biden issue an executive directive to end federal contracts with Amazon, until the ecommerce firm ceases “illegal and anti-union activities.”