Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has instructed fellow Democrats to force the out-loud reading of the GOP’s 940-page bill if the Senate begins debate Saturday. The maneuver, described by a person granted anonymity to describe private plans, is intended to slow down Senate passage of the megabill and give Democrats more time to raise awareness of provisions inside of it. Reading the bill by clerks is provided for under Senate rules but is almost always waived by unanimous consent.
Senate aides estimate that reading the 940-page bill could take about 15 hours. When Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) forced the reading of Democrats’ 628-page American Rescue Act in 2021, it took 10 hours and 44 minutes, as noted in a Politico article. Johnson famously bought the clerks a case of wine afterward to celebrate the completion of the reading.
The person who described the bill’s provisions said that Schumer believes Americans deserve to hear exactly what’s in this ‘monstrosity,’ which includes permanent tax breaks for billionaires, millions of Americans losing health care and food assistance, giveaways to fossil fuel companies, and land sales to the highest bidder — all paid for by working families. This approach reflects a broader effort by Democrats to highlight what they perceive as the negative aspects of the GOP’s legislative proposal, potentially influencing public opinion and political strategy.