Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. LAMAR! Alexander (R-TN) both accused the Senate Democratic Leadership of cooking up a health care bill "in secret" (Alexander) and then trying to pass it in "the middle of a snowstorm" (Alexander) in the "dead of night" (McConnell).
The reason the Senate was in session last night, as everyone knows or should know, is because the Republicans plan to obstruct the vote in every possible way. They know that the end result is inevitable, but they feel they need to show their constituency that they did everything they could to sink it. To gripe about the vote schedule for this week is to gripe about their own tactical charade. Using every trick they have, the Republicans can slow the vote until late Christmas Eve. Said Tom Harkin (D-IA):
"If the Republicans want to exercise every single right they have under the rules, they can keep us here until Christmas Eve, no doubt about it. But to what end, I ask? To what end? We're going to have the vote at 1 a.m. that requires 60 votes, and then why stay here until Christmas Eve to do what they know we're going to do?"
After all the delaying tactics have been played out, the final vote is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
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