Senate Democrats’ delay tactic with Trump bill ends after marathon read
The Senate Democrats’ delay tactic has finally come to a close, but Senate Republicans are still a ways out from voting on President Donald Trump’s \”big, beautiful bill.\” After nearly 16 hours of reading aloud the 940-page legislative behemoth over the weekend, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that he would be forcing the clerks to read the bill ahead of the procedural vote on the bill.
Schumer’s move was seen as a strategic play to make Republicans uncomfortable and ensure that they were fully aware of the contents of the bill. He stated, \”I know damn well they haven’t read the bill, so we’re going to make them.\” This tactic is part of the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans, with Democrats feeling sidelined from having input on the president’s agenda.
The last time Senate clerks were forced to read the entirety of a bill on the floor was in 2021, when Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., similarly objected to reading former President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Act. With the reading of the bill completed, lawmakers will now move on to 20 hours of debate, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.
Senate Democrats are expected to use their time to the fullest extent, while Senate Republicans may only use a couple of hours. Senators like Rand Paul, R-Ky., who have been critical of the bill, will likely voice their concerns during the debate. Additionally, Senators Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have expressed reservations about the bill, particularly regarding changes to the Medicaid provider tax rate.
Tillis, who recently announced his retirement, is unlikely to support the bill unless significant changes are made to the Medicaid adjustments. Collins, who initially supported the legislation, also wants to see real changes to the Medicaid provider tax rate. Fiscal hawks within the Republican Party have also been negotiating with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to make amendments to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) in the bill.
Overall, the Senate is gearing up for a heated debate over Trump’s \”big, beautiful bill,\” with tensions running high on both sides of the aisle. As the debate unfolds, it remains to be seen how these various concerns and objections will impact the final outcome of the legislation.
