Can Conservatives just propose 1000-page amendments ad nauseum?

[AZRedhawk44]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091216/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul

WASHINGTON – The Senate is in health care gridlock after a Republican senator forced the clerk to read aloud a 767-page amendment.

GOP Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma had sought approval to require that any amendment considered by the Senate must be offered 72 hours in advance and with a full cost report.

When he was rebuffed by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, Coburn invoked his right to require that an amendment by another lawmaker be read aloud. That sent the Senate into limbo, since the amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is 767 pages long.

It's unclear how long the procedural standoff will continue. Democrats are struggling to pass their bill by Christmas.

We need each conservative Senator to come up with a 1000 page amendment and insist that the "proposed amendment" be read on the floor in full.

That would be almost 50,000 pages and might take until November 2010.

[makattak]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091216/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul

We need each conservative Senator to come up with a 1000 page amendment and insist that the "proposed amendment" be read on the floor in full.

That would be almost 50,000 pages and might take until November 2010.

I like this plan. Fight dirty.

Others might reply that Democrats will do the same to Republicans once they take power. I hope they do. I hope this creates a Senatorial fight that prevents ANYTHING from getting passed again.

[Ben]

Good for him! It's absolutely disgusting that these guys balk at a VERY short 72 hour heads up with associated costs. Transparent indeed.

[Sergeant Bob]

I like this plan. Fight dirty.

Others might reply that Democrats will do the same to Republicans once they take power. I hope they do. I hope this creates a Senatorial fight that prevents ANYTHING from getting passed again.

If only dreams would come true.

[HankB]

I like this plan. Fight dirty.

Agree.

When the GOP had a majority, that's exactly what the Dems did. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, we'll see if The Stupid Party^(TM) learned anything.

[Monkeyleg]

How about a 1000 page amendment that says all federal elected officials and appointees must use government health care for themselves and their immediate families for the rest of their lives? I want that amendment offered up, and I want to see a vote on it so the public can see for themselves what these bastards are up to.

[AZRedhawk44]

I called McCain and Kyl to let them know I insist they use every possible dirty procedural trick to delay a vote.  If the Senate gets NO business done over the next 10 months, then that's A-OK with me.

[makattak]

I called McCain and Kyl to let them know I insist they use every possible dirty procedural trick to delay a vote.  If the Senate gets NO business done over the next 10 months, then that's A-OK with me.

Please amend that statement to 13 months. I'm afraid of what might happen while we have a lame duck congress...

[StopTheGrays]

I heard on the radio that just reading the table of contents of the offered amendment took 18 minutes. They estimated it could take 3 days of 6 hour sessions to read the whole thing. 

[makattak]

I heard on the radio that just reading the table of contents of the offered amendment took 18 minutes. They estimated it could take 3 days of 6 hour sessions to read the whole thing.  

Knowing that, EVERY bill should be read aloud. We should not have gargantuan bills in the first place.

[RocketMan]

Sanders withdrew his amendment, and the reading ended at 176 pages.  Gridlock over.

[Viking]

Sanders withdrew his amendment, and the reading ended at 176 pages.  Gridlock over.

....
Why?
...

[RocketMan]

Sanders withdrew his amendment because he thought Coburn's tactic calling for a full reading was "disgusting", as he put it.  Sanders wants this health care bill to pass the Senate socialized medicine in the US.

[Viking]

Sanders withdrew his amendment because he thought Coburn's tactic calling for a full reading was "disgusting", as he put it.  Sanders wants this health care bill to pass the Senate socialized medicine in the US.

Duh, I'm tired and mixing things up.

[Monkeyleg]

So, why doesn't a Republican introduce an amendment that's nearly identical to Sanders'?

[MicroBalrog]

So, why doesn't a Republican introduce an amendment that's nearly identical to Sanders'?

Or any other amendment.

McCain proposes amendment to... I don't know, an Amendment with the text of the entire Bible copy-pasted in there, followed by the phonebook.

Coburn demands reading.

[RocketMan]

So, why doesn't a Republican introduce an amendment that's nearly identical to Sanders'?

Sander's amendment was characterized as a "sweeping single-payer amendment" in the press.  It is not something a Republican would introduce.*

* With the possible exception of the two fine Senators from the State of Maine.

[Boomhauer]

Or any other amendment.

McCain proposes amendment to... I don't know, an Amendment with the text of the entire Bible copy-pasted in there, followed by the phonebook.

Coburn demands reading.

How about throwing in Atlas Shrugged, too?

[Monkeyleg]

How about throwing in Atlas Shrugged, too? Heh.

Great idea! Maybe our congresscritters would get an idea of what happens when they embrace socialism.















Naw. Won't happen.

[AZRedhawk44]

How about throwing in Atlas Shrugged, too?

Durbin would just have the Sergeant at Arms arrest the Senator terrorist.  He's said on the floor of the Senate that Rand's works foment terrorism.

[RocketMan]

Durbin would just have the Sergeant at Arms arrest the Senator terrorist.  He's said on the floor of the Senate that Rand's works foment terrorism.

Seriously?

[AZRedhawk44]

Seriously?

Yep.  I was miraculously watching CSPAN when he said it.  What made me stop flipping channels was seeing the "honorable Senator from Illinois" talking about Rand.

It's one of 3 pivotal moments of my life, actually:
1.  Becoming a gun owner and appreciating what responsibility really means in that context;
2.  Reading Atlas Shrugged for the first time;
3.  Seeing a US Senator demean that same work on the floor of the Senate and use it as a litmus for supposed radicalized/revolutionary/insurrectionist behavior.

I wasn't radicalized UNTIL Dick Durbin opened his fat mouth.  He got me to get off the couch.

[Standing Wolf]

Nah. Sorry. Satire. Those bums don't read.

[longeyes]

Not obstruction, just aikido: use the enemy's strength against him.

If we have a thousand years of "gridlock," so be it.  This train needs to go off the rails.

[zahc]

Thousands of years of gridlock is not enough. We need to remove the unjust laws that are already on the books. I am not content with things staying the way they are now forever.