House Democrats gummed up the legislative works on Wednesday by calling for three protest votes in order to note their opposition to the Republican bill to repeal Obamacare, a sign they will do their best to hinder all House work as long as the bill is considered.
During debate on a defense appropriations bill, Democrats took to the floor three times to raise a parliamentary inquiry. Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., each asked whether the Congressional Budget Office has scored the House plan to partially repeal Obamacare.
Each time, the presiding officer said that wasn’t a parliamentary inquiry. And each time, the Democrats moved that the House adjourn, forcing a 15-minute vote on each occasion.
“To give the Republicans a little bit more time to request a CBO score, I move that the House do now adjourn,” McGovern said.
The House defeated each request to adjourn, but the tactic shows Democrats will do what they can to make every step painful for Republicans.
Republicans themselves are split on the bill, which is already raising questions about whether enough conservative lawmakers can support it and move it out of the House.
Both the House and Senate are hoping to pass the bill by April, and the Trump administration has said Trump would fight hard to get a bill across the finish line.
