The $740 billion climate, healthcare, and tax bill is close to being passed by the Senate.
The Senate is nearing almost seven hours of voting in the thick of a "vote-a-roma," a procedural quirk that allows lawmakers to propose endless amendments to exhaustion.
There are a number of measures in the package, mostly hammered out between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
It would allow Medicare to negotiate the price of some prescription drugs, establish over $300 billion in clean energy tax credits, and extend financial assistance so Americans can purchase health coverage under theAffordable Care Act for three more years.
The vote-a-rama did not begin until after 11:30 pm because of the delays. The bill's final passage is expected sometime Sunday, but it's not clear how long senators will continue to vote on amendments. They went through 16 amendments and other procedural steps to derail the bill as of 6 am
Senate Republicans promised to force Democrats to take politically painful votes in order to exploit their positions in the upcoming elections.
How will vote-a-rama be? Lindsay Graham said it would be hell. These are going to be difficult votes for the Democrats.
After promising to offer politically dicey votes, GOP lawmakers have followed through with votes on immigration, oil taxes, the size of the IRS, and crime-related measures. Democrats haven't changed the legislation, which could complicate or even doom the proposal.
The senator from Vermont criticized the bill over the course of several days. He was able to force three votes, though he has been isolated. He offered an amendment that would require Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing benefits. The only Democrats who joined him were Georgia's senators.
The most heated moment came late Saturday night when a senator from New Hampshire tried to convince her fellow Democrats that they tried to kill the oil tax increase.
Graham tore into Hassan and her Democratic colleagues booed him. The failed amendment was advanced by four other democrats.
As dawn broke, some senators told reporters that their colleagues were getting tired, but others were able to take a few brief naps.
"I'm awake now, I get up at 4," Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters around 7 a.m., adding that he had taken naps during late-night votes.
A pair of Republicans who appeared to complain about being forced to stay in town were criticized.
The schedule for the Senate is put out by Schumer each December. I will not be at the reunion for the 2nd year in a row.
—ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 5, 2022
The senator from Florida complained about his schedule being upended by a bill.
"Wounded up at 5 am to a 3 am email that my 8:30 am flight was canceled but they rebooked me on an 8 pm flight tomorrow night with one connection," he wrote.
Because Democrats want to muscle through their plan without a single Republican vote, the vote-a-rama is a special part of the procedure.
The 60-vote threshold that effectively kills most legislation is allowed by it. Minority parties use the vote-a-rama to damage their opponents since they can't use the filibuster.
The retiring senator said he couldn't afford to take naps.
"If I fall asleep, I'm gone, I don't take naps," said the 87-year-old Republican.
The longest-serving Democrat in the chamber, who has mostly been away from the Senate since a fall and emergency hip replacement, was the focus of much attention. He told reporters after a long night of voting that he was fine.
"'Pat, I'm glad you're here, we shouldn't have to suffer alone,'" said Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, to him, according to the senator.
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