Senate Democrats protest secretive GOP health-care bill

Chuck Schumer.
(Image credit: Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images)

To protest the Republican attempt to repeal ObamaCare, Senate Democrats took over the floor on Monday and plan on staying there all night, using motions, inquiries, and long speeches to bring attention to the GOP drafting their bill behind closed doors.

Republicans have said a vote could come within the next two weeks, even though the draft bill has not been seen publicly, and the Democrats are calling for open committee hearings and additional time to consider the bill before a vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Republicans have not held any public hearings or negotiations, and that's the "most glaring departure from normal legislative procedure that I have ever seen. Republicans are writing their health-care bill under the cover of darkness because they are ashamed of it."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.