Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told fellow Democrats Saturday that he plans to force Senate clerks to read the entire 1,000-page Republican tax-and-spending bill aloud on the chamber floor — a procedural move meant to delay President Trump’s legislative push by at least 12 hours.
According to a Democratic source familiar with internal discussions, Schumer informed his caucus that once Republicans vote to advance the legislation, Democrats will demand the full bill be read aloud in protest.
The dramatic move could push the Senate’s already tight schedule into the early hours of Sunday morning, as GOP leadership faces a decision: push through the marathon reading overnight, or allow staff a few hours of rest before launching into a grueling series of amendment votes known as a vote-a-rama.
Republicans were reportedly bracing for this tactic from Schumer, anticipating he might use the floor rules to slow down the process.
The showdown comes as Senate Republicans scramble to pass Trump’s sweeping legislative package — which includes major tax cuts and spending increases — by the president’s self-imposed July 4 deadline. Their plan had included an initial procedural vote Saturday, followed by up to 20 hours of debate, and then an unlimited series of votes on amendments.
Thanks to Schumer’s move, that timeline is now in flux.
And it’s not just about timing. GOP leaders are still uncertain they have the votes needed to advance the bill. With a razor-thin majority, Republicans can afford to lose only three senators — and three have already said they’ll oppose the bill: Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
Schumer’s procedural protest adds another layer of unpredictability to an already fraught legislative fight — and puts President Trump’s landmark bill on increasingly shaky ground.
