Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the US Senate Minority Leader, announced on Monday that Democrats will be looking forward to use a new strategy to protest the Senate health care bill introduced by the Republicans.
Democratic Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy declared it a “quintuple red alert.”
“Radical departure from normal procedure on a bill of such consequence,” Schumer announced from the floor, “leaves the Senate minority little choice but to depart from normal procedure as well.”
“Starting this evening,” he added, “Democrats will begin objecting to all unanimous consent requests in the Senate, save for honorary resolutions. We will seek, in as many ways as we can, in as many times as we can, to refer the House-passed health care bill to committee. Where it can be vetted, debated and amended in the open, for the American people to see, as is their right.”
“And tonight Democrats will hold the floor late into the evening in a series of speeches to highlight just how unprecedented this process is,” he continued. “If Republicans are not going to allow debate on their bill on the floor or in committee, Democrats will make opportunities to debate.”
“And these are merely the first steps we’re prepared to take in order to shine a light on the shameful TrumpCare bill, and reveal to the public the GOP’s backroom deal-making,” he concluded.
To protest what they consider secrecy with which the bill is being drafted, Democrats used the hashtag #showusthebill with their tweets as a way to register their criticism.
House Republicans managed to pass their own version of what seems to be an Obamacare replacement bill, by a narrow margin. However, that legislation was met with severe criticism from President Trump, who reportedly called the bill “mean” and another vulgar term in a meeting with congressional Republicans.
Senate Republicans have said they will craft their own health care bill, starting from scratch. But the blanket of secrecy under which they’re drafting the legislation seems to be causing Democrats some serious issues.