Pennsylvania first-term Sen. John Fetterman (D) made it crystal clear Monday morning that he was not feeling captivated with trudging by a marathon sequence of votes on President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” grumbling that the train was costing him time on the seaside when the invoice is prone to move anyway.
“Oh my God, I just want to go home. I’ve already … I’ve missed our entire trip to the beach,” he informed reporters.
He stated his household would already be again from the seaside by the point he acquired out of the Capitol in scorching, muggy Washington, D.C.
“There’s no drama,” he stated. “The only interesting votes are going to be on the margin,” citing a few Republican colleagues who’re holdouts.
“I don’t think it’s really helpful to put people here until some ungodly hour,” he stated.
Fetterman reiterated that he plans to vote in opposition to the invoice.
Senators began voting shortly after 9:30 a.m. EDT Monday on a marathon sequence of procedural motions and amendments that’s anticipated to final till late at night time and even early Tuesday morning.
Senators on either side of the aisle are desirous to get out of city after the beginning of the weeklong July Fourth vacation recess was postponed by a number of days to complete up work on the laws.
Senators needed to keep up late to learn the revised 940-page Senate invoice, which was launched late Friday, a couple of minutes earlier than midnight.
Then they needed to come to the Capitol on Saturday and wait round till after 11 p.m. to complete a vote on a movement to proceed to the invoice.
Senate flooring employees spent the remainder of Saturday night time and most of Sunday studying by the invoice — an arduous course of that stretched out for greater than 16 hours.
Senators lastly began voting on amendments Monday morning, with no end-time in sight.
Lawmakers have remained trapped on the ground for hours, voting each half hour or so on an modification or movement. Each try and amend the invoice or ship it again to committee had failed as of three p.m. Monday.