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Republicans Force Reading Of Health Care Bill
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Hope Senate clerks brought some water with them to work today.
The clerks are currently reading the 383-page manager's amendment unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid the morning, word-for-word.
If you don't feel like listening to C-Span for the next few hours, read the amendment here.
This is a procedural tactic Republicans started using this week to stall Democratic efforts to pass the Senate's version of the health care bill before Christmas.
Democrats keep trying to waive the reading of the bill so debate can continue, but Republicans object to the reading.
The Senate clerks are trading off the reading of the language, and as of this writing, they are in the ballpark of page 43.
When this happened with Sen. Bernie Sander's amendment earlier this week, he eventually gave up and withdrew the legislation to break the quasi-filibuster. That's unlikely to happen since what's being read aloud will be the final Senate compromise.
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shooter242
December 19, 2009 10:21 AM
Good on the Republicans. We'll have at least one person that's read the whole thing.
Keep up the good work.
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wbgonne
December 19, 2009 10:26 AM in reply to shooter242
At least they're not getting paid by the hour. (Or are they?)
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loria
December 19, 2009 11:06 AM in reply to shooter242
And it won't be them since they aren't likely to sit in the Senate Chamber to listen while it's being read.
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dmacgregor
December 19, 2009 3:37 PM in reply to loria
The rule which allows forced reading should also require those invoking it to remain in the room while its read!
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hallam
December 21, 2009 12:02 AM in reply to dmacgregor
Actually it does. If the GOP fails to keep at least one Senator in the Chamber at all times then the Democrats can simply ask for unanimous consent.
In fact it is worse than that for the minority party, the majority can pretty much do anything they like that does not have a notice period. They could ask for unanimous consent for the next vote, then unanimous consent to waive the notice period for the next one and pass that.
That is how the GOP passed the Terri Schiavo law.
The GOP's principle strategy at this point seems to be hoping that these maneuvers might kill Sen Byrd and allow them to halt the bill as the Democrats lose the 60.
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wial
December 19, 2009 11:31 AM in reply to shooter242
it'll keep the senate clerks too busy to be available for the use of republican senators for while, at least. that's a good thing, if the clerks are at all like pages. not all GOP senators are heterosexual philanderers! hopefully those cots are out in the open though. maybe they should create a security detail to monitor the GOP senators through the night. but that could go badly wrong too...
speaking of which, what's jeff gannon up to these days I wonder?
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arias
December 19, 2009 7:44 PM in reply to wial
Are there not female clerks?
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Bruce Webb
December 20, 2009 11:26 AM in reply to arias
Yes by all means lets not deprive those Senators who are into that "Wow, that clerk looks just like my granddaughter!" thing.
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raiatean
December 19, 2009 12:23 PM in reply to shooter242
At least the effing Dems are literate Shooter, not down to your level yet, but the way things are going in your country, it shouldn't be long till the whole shootin match are all as stupid as you.....
I sorta feel that we need to use tanker truck loads of Fly Tox to clean up the gene pool.. Repigs make me want to shower after reading some drivel or crap that they have managed to serve up....
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i said GOOD DAY sir
December 20, 2009 5:28 PM in reply to shooter242
Hey Shooter:
How does it feel to know that your party failed to block health care reform? Big fucking bummer, buddy.
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loria
December 19, 2009 11:05 AM
Will we be listening to the GOP Senators whine when they are stuck in DC for the Holiday break because their obstructionist tactics backfired?
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RHERSH12
December 19, 2009 11:07 AM
Headline: Illiterate? Republicans Need Bill Read Aloud to Them.
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geofu54
December 19, 2009 11:43 AM
I bet this is the first time the Rethugs've ever read any part of the bill.
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raiatean
December 19, 2009 1:07 PM in reply to geofu54
Nah, those porcine bastards only look for the "dirty" words and only those that don't exceed four letters.... The average Repig is busy humpin his momma or daddy's leg (which ever is closer).
Have I mentioned just how much I HATE those feces eating sumbitches???
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lousgirl84
December 19, 2009 10:50 PM in reply to raiatean
I think we got the message!! I feel exactly the same!!!
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Stranahan
December 19, 2009 2:01 PM
Maybe they can figure out what compromise to women's health Nelson was able to score on abortion.
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Tron Ididarod Palin
December 19, 2009 3:19 PM
Seriously...
Can anyone imagine what would happen if the Democrats had voted against funding the troops as a delay tactic to kill an unrelated bill?
I'm pretty sure the word treason would have been used...why do the Democrats NEVER have the sense or the stones to call the GOP out on the same things that the GOP used to call them out for?
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mishima
December 19, 2009 4:51 PM in reply to Tron Ididarod Palin
I agree. Abusing language is an important tactic of the Republicans, and one way to inoculate against their abuse would be to be equally abusive. If Democrats would regularly accuse Republicans of "treason," or of being the next "Hitler" these words/accusations would lose their power and would be meaningless in debate.
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Me4Him
December 19, 2009 6:13 PM
Why should I work/support some "jerk" who won't work as long as "I", and other like me, have to support him, I don't mind helping someone who is "Temporary down and out" due to the economy, The "Great Society" program has been a total failure,
If "Government" put an "import tax" on companies who left the USA for "cheap labor", the import fees could support those who lost their jobs because these companies left the country.
The "love of money" will have US citizens working/living at a 3th world level.
I'm for replacing "everything" in "Washington".
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arias
December 19, 2009 7:52 PM in reply to Me4Him
Your comment doesn't appear to have anything to do with this post or thread. What exactly are you responding to Me4Him? Welfare reform passed in 1996 and has been a resounding success. The Great Society was 40 years ago.
This is Health Care that's been discussed in this soon to elapse decade. Did you forget to take your meds or can you not afford them?
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Me4Him
December 20, 2009 4:51 PM in reply to arias
Maybe you haven't been around in the world long enough to know what the problems are, or possibly a "liberal", which can never learn.
Unemployment/job opportunities are the reasons people don't have health care, for those who are "Willing to work".
And why should the remainder worry about having a job when the government has already provided the last two generations with housing/food and "health care",
This health care bill is nothing more that "MORE" of that "great Society", a "Socialist" idea.
Government control means no people control, a "liberty" only idiots would give up without a fight.
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Bruce Webb
December 20, 2009 11:35 AM in reply to Me4Him
WELL I am of "two minds" here.
Part of "me" wants to put "scare quotes" around every "noun" in my "comment".
The OTHER wants to put every NOUN into ALL-CAPS to make sure I make my POINT.
But maybe "I' can best make my POINT by saying that "Me4Him" is a Glibertarian "WANKER"
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bheartlib
December 19, 2009 10:10 PM
I watched the 'reading' off and on today. I never saw or heard Mcconnell. I think that if someone demands a reading...he or she should have to be there to hear it. These people are such blatant obstructionists. What they did to Bernie Sanders was just disgusting. Sen. Sanders is trying to do the best he can for us, single payer is the way to go, and we all know it.
I also witnessed the spectacle of Sen. Robert Byrd being wheeled into the chambers at 1:30AM for a vote. Disgusting.
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