Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will need to win the votes of 50 of the 52 GOP senators to push the bill through.
Washington — Democrats plan to slow the Senate’s work, force votes and make late-night speeches in an effort to focus attention on how Republicans are crafting legislation revamping the nation’s health care system behind closed doors, a senior Democratic aide said Monday.
The effort comes with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hoping to weave together a bill dismantling much of former President Barack Obama’s health care law so the Senate can vote on it before leaving for its July 4 recess.
Republicans have held no committee meetings or votes on the measure, which McConnell is trying to produce from numerous private meetings among GOP senators.
Democrats, who solidly oppose the Republican effort but lack the votes to block it, are trying to capitalize on the secrecy and contrast it with the numerous committee meetings and votes that produced the 2010 statute.
McConnell will need to win the votes of 50 of the 52 GOP senators to push the bill through the Senate. It remains unclear if he’ ll be able to write legislation that will attract enough votes.
Republicans are writing their measure privately “because they’ re ashamed of it, ” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a written statement.
“If Republicans won’ t relent and debate their health care bill in the open for the American people to see, then they shouldn’ t expect business as usual in the Senate, ” Schumer said.
A spokesman for McConnell declined to comment.
A senior Democratic aide said the effort would begin Monday evening.
It will include trying to force votes aimed at drawing attention to the lack of transparency, such as committee hearings, on the GOP legislation.
The GOP-run House narrowly approved its version of the legislation.
