Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., of “legislative malpractice” Tuesday by failing to release the Senate GOP healthcare plan to the public.
“Complete transparency for a few hours, a CBO score just before, no hearings, no chance to make amendments. I take total issue with it,” Schumer said.
“They’re just ashamed of the bill, and they’re totally, totally at odds with what they thought a bill should be like,” Schumer said. “Sen. McConnell, in particular, who believes in regular order. We’re getting along just fine, but I have to say it — I have never seen such legislative malpractice by any leader as this.”
The comments came only minutes after McConnell and his colleagues insisted to reporters that “nobody’s hiding the ball” and that there will be plenty of time to read the bill and offer amendments.
The New York Democrat cited reports that Senate Republicans were working to limit press access in parts of the Capitol while criticizing the GOP healthcare push.
“The decision by Republicans to ban cameras in large parts of this body is absolutely wrong. We Democrats are going to be working to undo it,” Schumer said. “They’re afraid to talk about their healthcare bill.”
Schumer declined to take a position on Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s, D-Calif., call to investigate whether former Attorney General Loretta Lynch provided cover for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by inviting former President Bill Clinton on her plane on a tarmac in Phoenix last year.
“Before I say anything further on this, I want to hear what Loretta Lynch’s side of the story is,” he said. “I haven’t heard that yet.”
