Senate Democrats ponder tying up repeal debate for days

By JENNIFER HABERKORN 09/19/2017 09:25 PM EDT Updated 09/19/2017 09:12 PM EDT

Senate Democrats are weighing whether they have enough procedural tricks — and stamina — to kill a possible GOP attempt to repeal Obamacare.

The Democrats are considering whether they could force enough amendment votes on the Senate floor to run out the clock and effectively kill the Obamacare repeal, by taking debate past Sept. 30, when the GOP’s special procedural tool to pass a bill with just a simple majority expires.

It could be the stuff of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" or even "Veep": Democrats would have to stay awake to continue offering — and voting — on amendments for several days, or until the deadline passes. Or, if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has the 50 votes to repeal Obamacare and the deadline loomed, he could shut down the process in a step critics say would forever change Senate precedent.

“It is a bill that reforms one-fifth of the American economy, in which senators have no opportunity to debate or amend until vote-a-rama,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), using the nickname for the Senate process of voting on an unlimited number of amendments. “The only opportunity to debate this bill will be vote-a-rama.”

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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/19/obamacare-repeal-senate-democrats-242909