WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate backed an amendment to an annual defense bill on Thursday that would prohibit exports to China of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

As voting continued, the tally was 68 to 13 in favor of the measure, beyond the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to add the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, legislation that sets policy for the Department of Defense that is expected to be passed later this year.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Timothy Gardner)