With the Christmas break coming up for the Senate, parliamentary maneuvering on Wednesday forced the withdrawal of a Democratic amendment to the Democrats’ health care bill.
Debate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) on Wednesday started with political maneuvering. Senate Republicans delayed a decision on an amendment of the legislation introduced by Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma ordered that Senate clerks read the 767-page amendment in its entirety. The massive bill, which would enable the government to finance a health plan nationwide, would have taken 10-12 hours to read while the Senate was in session, likely tying up the body for several days. According to reports. Sen. Coburn said, on NewsOK.com, “The American people deserve to know the competing approaches to reform in the U.S. Senate.”
Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders halted the bill’s reading by withdrawing his amendment, which would have offered Medicare to everyone instead of just people aged 65 or older. Sen. Sanders called the action an “outrage. In this moment of crisis, it is wrong to bring the United States government to a halt.”
Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters that no one would want to listen for the “10 or 12” hours it would take to read the amendment in its entirety. “What this is all about is to bring down health care reform,” he said in a live video feed.
The senator said the Republicans were trying to delay a decision on the Department of Defense Appropriation bill, H.R.3326, passed recently by the House on Tuesday, which would provide additional funds to active and reserve personnel in the military.
Debate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) on Wednesday started with political maneuvering. Senate Republicans delayed a decision on an amendment of the legislation introduced by Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma ordered that Senate clerks read the 767-page amendment in its entirety. The massive bill, which would enable the government to finance a health plan nationwide, would have taken 10-12 hours to read while the Senate was in session, likely tying up the body for several days. According to reports. Sen. Coburn said, on NewsOK.com, “The American people deserve to know the competing approaches to reform in the U.S. Senate.”
Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders halted the bill’s reading by withdrawing his amendment, which would have offered Medicare to everyone instead of just people aged 65 or older. Sen. Sanders called the action an “outrage. In this moment of crisis, it is wrong to bring the United States government to a halt.”
Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters that no one would want to listen for the “10 or 12” hours it would take to read the amendment in its entirety. “What this is all about is to bring down health care reform,” he said in a live video feed.
The senator said the Republicans were trying to delay a decision on the Department of Defense Appropriation bill, H.R.3326, passed recently by the House on Tuesday, which would provide additional funds to active and reserve personnel in the military.
