A reporter grilled Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday over the omnibus spending bill released early Tuesday morning.
The proposed government funding bill comes in at $1.66 trillion and includes money for nongovernmental organizations sheltering transporting and feeding migrants, as well as money for Ukraine, and millions to renovate a planned parenthood clinic. The legislation is 4,155 pages and the Senate is expected to vote on it Tuesday night.
One reporter asked Schumer how it is “functional” to require legislators to read a bill of that size in such a small period of time.
“How is it functional process to drop a 4,100 page bill this morning and expect a vote on it tomorrow?” a reporter asked. “Most of Congress hasn’t had a chance to review this.”
Reporter: "How is it to functional process to drop a 4,100 page bill this morning and expect a vote on it tomorrow?"
Schumer: "The bill has been carefully worked on [and] most of the provisions were well known weeks and weeks in advance." pic.twitter.com/PLBO3JOdig
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 20, 2022
“The bill has been carefully worked on by the appropriations committee for a very, very long time. Most of the provisions were well known weeks and weeks in advance. Getting this bill done for the American people, which really matters, is the most important thing.”
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul took aim at the large bill and lack of time, tweeting “I wonder how long it would take the clerk to read this…”
I wonder how long it would take the clerk to read this… pic.twitter.com/iaphBzTEsS
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 20, 2022
Paul added that the “process stinks.”
“It’s an abomination. It’s a no good rotten way to run government. We’re standing up and saying NO.”
I brought along the 1.7 trillion, 4,000+ page Pelosi-Schumer omnibus spending bill that's being fast-tracked through the Senate. This process stinks. It's an abomination. It's a no good rotten way to run government. We're standing up and saying NO. pic.twitter.com/Wom6xKEeQh
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 20, 2022
