The Senate has completed a lengthy, nearly 16-hour reading of the GOP’s 940-page megabill, marking a pivotal moment in the legislative process. The reading, which began at 11:08 p.m. Saturday and concluded at 3:03 p.m. Sunday, was conducted without waiving chamber rules, a decision Democrats made to spotlight the bill’s most contentious provisions. With the reading now complete, the next phase will involve 20 hours of debate, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, though Democrats are expected to take full advantage of their allotted 10 hours.
The GOP bill remains under review, with negotiations ongoing to secure the necessary votes for passage in both chambers. Party leaders continue to negotiate to tweak the bill in ways that will win 51 votes in the Senate while also garnering enough votes to pass in the House later this week without further modifications. Republicans also continue to deal with the chamber’s parliamentarian, who continues to review whether parts of the bill comply with the budget rules the GOP is using to pass the bill along party lines.