Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., forced the Senate to begin reading all 628 pages of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID bill aloud on the Senate floor Thursday, further delaying a vote on the legislation Democrats hope to make law by next week.
Johnson said his tactic was about “educating” the American public on what was in the $1.9 trillion package, which he has derided as full of provisions unrelated to COVID relief. The entire process could take at least 10 hours.
He told reporters Thursday he felt badly for the Senate clerks who are going to “have to read it,” but it was “important” to delay the process and read the bill aloud because “so often we rush these massive bills” which few lawmakers have time to read.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Johnson's move would "accomplish little more than a few sore throats for the Senate clerks who work very hard day in, day out to help the Senate function."
And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters, "I'm not sitting here for reading the bill." His Republican colleague had "every right" to request the reading, but "I don't think it particularly moves the ball forward," Graham said, citing the later amendment process as a more productive use of time to showcase Republican disagreements with the legislation.
As the clerk began reading the bill afternoon, Johnson was the only senator in the chamber. He sat watching the clerk, his blue face mask resting on his desk.
-------------------------------- We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
Posts: 37940 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
I'm thinking he might have some trouble winning another election, even in the reddening land of Wisconsin. He pledged not to run again, and maybe he'll read the tea leaves and honor that pledge.
Posts: 12539 | Location: Williamsburg, VA | Registered: 19 July 2005
