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.
“They've wasted more than a thousand hours by saying no,” said Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to reporters, echoing the statements of Sen. Durbin.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) said in a press conference that all 40 Republicans are “highly likely” to vote against the bill, adding that the public is not in favor of the bill.
The Kentucky senator said that the bill is “overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people” and that the Democrats' primary argument for the bill was to “make history.” He said, “The American people are asking us not to make a historic mistake.”
Throughout the debate, Senate Republicans have said that Democrats have been trying to pass the legislation too quickly. The current delay of the bill could push senators to make a decision over Christmas break or possibly next year. Democrats want to pass the bill before Christmas recess.
Behind the scenes, Senate Democrats and the White House continued attempts to win over holdouts in the party itself, in an effort to achieve the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster.
