WITHHOLD CONSENT + FILIBUSTER BY AMENDMENT: A CHANCE TO BRING DOWN TRUMPCARE

The TrumpCare plans have been analyzed, and a weakness has been found.

As Ezra Levin recently storified and then published on the Indivisible site: "Reconciliation gives Republicans a HUGE benefit-- they only need 50 votes to pass TrumpCare instead of the normal 60... But it comes with a little talked about cost... an unlimited number of amendments must be allowed." He continues: "There is no limit to the number of amendments... Any senator can introduce dozens, hundreds, THOUSANDS. They just have to be on Senate Floor to introduce. And here’s the thing about these amendments. They have to be introduced by a speech and voted on. AND THAT TAKES TIME."

In essence, if used effectively this tactic could slow the process to a crawl, resulting in what the GOP fears most on this issue: time for a CBO score to expose the burdensome cost, for public opinion to turn against the bill, and ultimately for the whole thing to fall apart. And that, of course, is exactly what we want.

If you have a Democratic Senator, please tell them to withhold consent and commit to filibuster-by-amendment.

WHAT TO DO: Call yourU.S. Senator (if a Democrat; if a Republican see this entry).

Find your Congressional representatives here:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members

If you're in Minnesota:
Senator Al Franken: (202) 224-5641 / 651-221-1016
Senator Amy Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244 / 612-727-5220

SCRIPT:

"Hello. My name is _______. My zip code is _____. I don't need a personal response. I'm calling to encourage Senator ________ to withold consent on all Senate business until public hearings on the AHCA are held and a CBO score is released to the public, as well as filibustering the bill by amendment. That means withholding consent on amendments, placing holds on nominations, and objecting to all unanimous consent requests until there are hearings and a complete CBO score. It also means  continually offering amendments into the July 4 recess or longer, holding the floor with amendments as long as it takes to guarantee Americans can read the bill, see a CBO score, and witness Senate hearings. If you could pass my concerns along, I'd appreciate it." If you have a personal story relating to any of the above legislation, it's of great value for the Senator to share during debate if you'd care to include it. Be sure to thank the staffer for their time.

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