Senate Chamber Empties As Reading Of 628-Page Relief Bill Gets Underway
Source: forbes
Breaking|Mar 4, 2021,05:09pm EST|375 views
Senators vanished from the U.S. Senate chamber on Thursday as clerks begin reading the upper houses 628-page coronavirus relief bill, with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), who objected to waiving its reading as a way to delay the process, chatting and looking at his phone during parts of the reading.
Dozens of senators were present at the start of the reading, which was supported by a number of Senate Republicans who complain lawmakers have not had time to read the bill and that the bill is filled with excessive spending measures.
But those senators gradually filed out of the chamber within the first half hour of the reading, with Johnson remaining as the only senator in the chamber by the one-hour mark.
Johnson himself left the chamber at one point early in the reading, even after demanding Vice President Kamala Harris, who was presiding over the first part of the session, restore order when senators talked over the reading.
Several key senators stopped to talk with each other: Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) engaged in a lengthy dialogue, joined by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), while Manchin, Portman and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) all talked with Johnson..............................
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/03/04/senate-chamber-empties-as-reading-of-628-page-relief-bill-gets-underway/?sh=551448987c15
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Funtatlaguy
(10,856 posts)ebbie15644
(1,208 posts)stopped and talked to a bunch of republicans?
appmanga
(523 posts)...he should be talking to Republicans after talking with Sinema. He should letting those "centrist" Republicans he and Sinema are against the filibuster, but stunts like this don't help them continue to stand fast in favor of it, and they need to pull the coat of their boy Ron.
ebbie15644
(1,208 posts)I hope so
Aussie105
(5,214 posts)And some clown actually wants 'everyone' to actually read/listen to it.
I'd wager no one has done a careful read of it anyway, just skimmed through the first 10 or so pages.
Or got some intern to do it, and highlight the important bits.
Wouldn't a synopsis of the important points do?
Or get a voice person to record it, then play it back at 2X speed?
At least Johnson should be tied down and made to listen to the whole thing.
Srkdqltr
(6,128 posts)msongs
(67,193 posts)modrepub
(3,469 posts)of the person reading it.
Deuce
(959 posts)Talitha
(6,477 posts)ancianita
(35,812 posts)The option is invoked when the majority leader raises a point of order that contravenes a standing rule, such as that only a simple majority is needed to close debate on certain matters. The presiding officer denies the point of order based on Senate rules, but the ruling of the chair is then appealed and overturned by majority vote, establishing new precedent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option
So when, Mr. Chuck bold-and-fast Schumer?? When??
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)is going to pass regardless ?
ancianita
(35,812 posts)more to get done, and I see no reason not to be ahead of some "schedule." Biden's ahead of his, so Congressional Dems should do what it takes to keep up.
The larger reality is that no matter how much we niggle and argue about how to do what needs to get done, climate crises and more pandemics don't care.
OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)doing really well with the Relief bill and the distribution of vaccines, plus with the infrastructure bill up next, which will also get passed. Once they are done the VRA might be the one that will push Democrats towards the nuclear option.
ancianita
(35,812 posts)groundloop
(11,488 posts)Manchin and Senema have repeatedly stated that they'd vote against killing the filibuster, so unless you have some secret weapon to get those two to go along then it's simply not going to happen.
catrose
(5,048 posts)turbinetree
(24,632 posts)tonight with his guest Norm Orenstein and its pretty straight forward, either your "Present" or you need 40 - 41 or 45 senators there to do a filibuster and Schumer can ask for this without ruffling the feathers of the Arizona and West Virginia senators...........
Sophiegirl
(2,338 posts)...do the clerks get paid per hour to read this entire bill and is Sen Johnson okay with that?
Anyone know?
And that MF needs to be there for every f*ing word!!