Democrats Force Full Reading in Delay Tactic
On Sunday afternoon, the clerks in the Senate finished reading the lengthy tax and spending bill put forward by the Republican Party. This means that the Senate can now begin the process that will lead to a final vote on the bill, which is expected to happen on Monday.
In an effort to postpone the approval of a new bill, Democratic lawmakers had the clerks read every single page of the 940-page document out loud. This lengthy process took almost 16 hours and wrapped up just after 3 p.m. “I opposed letting Republicans advance their large and controversial bill without first making sure they read every word of it aloud to the American public,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in a post on X on Saturday night.
What Happens Next: Debate and Vote-a-Rama
The chamber is going to start a debate that will last up to 20 hours, with each side getting an equal amount of time to share their views. After that, there will be a series of votes on proposed changes to the legislation, which is referred to as a “vote-a-drama”.
Republicans are likely to give up a lot of their speaking time, which should help speed up the process of passing the bill. This means that the voting process could start very early on Monday morning, paving the way for the bill to be approved later on.
Members are allowed to propose as many changes as they’d like to the tax plan, as long as those changes are related to it. Before the Republican leaders can hold a final vote on the tax package, they need to discuss and decide on all the proposed changes.
Republican Support Remains Uncertain
On Saturday, Republicans managed to gather enough support to move the bill forward, but it wasn’t easy. They spent a long day negotiating, and the voting process took more than three hours. Despite this progress, there’s still more work ahead for them.
Two Republican senators, Thom Tillis from North Carolina and Rand Paul from Kentucky, voted against moving forward with a proposed bill. They are likely to vote against the bill when it comes up for a final vote as well. Their reasons include concerns about changes to Medicaid and a large increase in the debt ceiling amounting to $5 trillion.
Senator Susan Collins from Maine, who is known for her moderate views, helped move the bill forward on Saturday. However, she hasn’t said yet if she will support it when it comes time for the final vote.
“It will depend on if the bill changes a lot,” she mentioned on Saturday. “Some great improvements have been made in the newest version, but I would like to see more changes, so I plan to suggest several amendments.”
Saturday’s Procedural Hurdles
Senate Republicans faced some challenges on Saturday when they tried to pass a vote. The vote was delayed for almost four hours because four conservative senators—Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, Rick Scott from Florida, Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming, and Mike Lee from Utah—refused to support the package. They were concerned that the Medicaid provisions in it were too generous and not in line with their views.
Some conservative leaders, including Thune and Trump, have agreed to support Scott’s plan to decrease the government’s financial contribution for new Medicaid participants in states that have expanded their programs.
Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, known for her moderate views, expressed her concerns for several hours regarding proposed cuts to the Medicaid and food assistance programs. These cuts were part of a larger plan being discussed.
Leadership Acknowledges Long Process
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, expressed his appreciation for the clerks who worked tirelessly for many hours.
“I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to the clerks who worked tirelessly through the night to review the amendment and help us reach this stage. I understand it was a long night, and we still have work ahead of us, but I want them to know that the Senate truly appreciates their hard work, commitment, and dedication.”
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