06.13.17

Cantwell, Senate Dems Announce the “No Hearing, No Vote Act” to Require All Fast-Tracked Reconciliation Bills Be Subject to a Committee Hearing Before a Final Senate Vote

Republicans Attempt to Jam Secret Trumpcare Bill Through Senate Without Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senate Democrats announced new legislation – The “No Hearing, No Vote Act” – that would hold Senate Republicans’ feet to the fire and require that any legislation going through the fast-tracked reconciliation process, such as the Trumpcare bill Republicans are currently drafting in private, have at least one committee hearing and be reported out by at least one of the instructed Senate Committees before the full Senate is permitted to consider it.

Despite the fact that the Republican bill would impact one sixth of the economy and millions of Americans’ healthcare, Senate Republicans are reportedly drafting a new version of Trumpcare behind closed doors and plan to fast-track the bill through the reconciliation process without having any committee hearings before a final Senate vote. Specifically, the Senate Democrats’ “No Hearing, No Vote Act” would prevent the full Senate from considering any reconciliation bill, such as Trumpcare, unless it has been reported out by at least one of the instructed Senate committees (in this case, the Senate Committees on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Finance) and there has been at least one hearing on every major reported provision in the bill.   

The legislation, first announced today by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Committees on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Committee on the Budget Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), will be formally introduced in the Senate by Leader Schumer.

The full text of the Senate Democrats’ legislation can be found here.

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