Schumer Plans Loud Reading of Bill to Delay Senate Vote
On Saturday, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, declared his intention to require Senate Democrats to read the “big beautiful bill” aloud, as noted in a social media update.
The strategy aims to postpone the bill’s passage in the Senate, allowing Democrats to voice concerns regarding its legal guidance provisions, Schumer explained in a post on X. He emphasized, “Destruction: I oppose Republicans moving forward with their big, ugly bills without reading them on the Senate floor.”
Destruction: I oppose Republicans moving forward their big ugly bills without reading it on the Senate floor
Republicans don’t tell America what’s in America
So the Democrats will have it read and start to finish on the floor
If that’s what we’re going to be here all night…
– Chuck Schumer (@senschumer) June 28, 2025
Schumer further argued that “Republicans don’t tell America what’s in America, so Democrats force them to finish it on the floor. If that’s what it takes to read it, we’ll be here all night.”
Senate rules allow for proposed bills to be read by clerks, although this is typically waived by unanimous consent. According to reports, aides estimate that reading the 940-page bill could take around 15 hours.
In 2021, Republican Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin made headlines by insisting on a loud reading of a 628-page Covid-19 relief bill, arguing it contained unrelated provisions.
I think you need to read the bill in full, as more than 90% of this “covid relief” bill is not even related to Covid.
Yes, it may take 10 hours, but Americans deserve to know what’s in it. https://t.co/qqdocfkrhz
– Senator Ron Johnson (@senronjohnson) March 4, 2021
Johnson added, “Yes, it may take 10 hours, but Americans deserve to know what’s in it.” It was reported that Senate aides took over 10 hours to read the entire Covid-19 relief bill aloud.
