Where, oh where, has the little bill gone? Where, oh where, can it be?
That's the tune some lawmakers were singing through the halls of the House building Thursday morning, as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) led a search for the ObamaCare replacement bill House Republicans have drafted. The bill was released to members and staffers of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday morning, but was reportedly locked in a "dedicated reading room" not accessible to other lawmakers or the public.
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Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) referred to the search as a "treasure hunt," as House Democrats flocked to H-157. Paul was arguably the most ardent treasure-seeker of the bunch, however, demanding a staffer show him the physical document and coming prepared with his own machinery:
The cloak-and-dagger routine caused quite a conspicuous stir:
In a totally innocent coincidence, while the search continued for the House Republican leadership's Thursday draft, the House Freedom Caucus tweeted the "full text" of its preferred ObamaCare replacement bill.
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