>>> THIS PROCESS IS AN EMBARRASSMENT.
THIS IS NUCLEAR GRAY BONKERS. WE ARE ABOUT TO REORDER
ONE-FIFTH OF THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND WE ARE GOING TO
HAVE TWO HOURS TO REVIEW A BILL WHICH AT FIRST BLUSH STANDS
ESSENTIALLY AS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ARSON.
>> TO UNDERSTAND THE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING DRAMA THAT UNFOLDED ON
THE SENATE FLOOR LAST NIGHT, YOU HAVE TO START MINUTES BEFORE
10:00 P.M. WHEN SENATE REPUBLICANS FIRST POSTED THE
TEXT OF THEIR HEALTH CARE BILL AND 18-PAGE REPEAL WRITTEN THAT
DAY OVER LUNCH. DEMOCRATS WOULD HAVE TWO HOURS
TO REVIEW IT. THE POSSIBLY OF REORDERED
AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT WITH AMERICANS
ASLEEP. IMMEDIATELY, DEMOCRATS ROSE ONE
AFTER THE OTHER TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST AND IT THE IDEA OF
JAMMING IT THROUGH OVERNIGHT. JUST ONE REPUBLICAN SENATOR
WOULD TAKE TO THE FLOOR. THAT WAS THE SENATOR FROM
WYOMING WHO INTENDED TO HELD TO FLOOR AT ALL COSTS.
>> DOES THE SENATOR YIELD? >> I THINK THIS IS UNDER MY
TIME. >> IF I CAN RESPECTFULLY ASK THE
CHAIRMAN, SINCE WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS BILL FOR AN HOUR.
WE HAVE AS YOU CAN SEE, A NUMBER OF SENATORS WHO WANT TO SPEAK
AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK IF THERE'S ANY TIME WE WILL HAVE
BETWEEN NOW AND THE VOTE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS, SINCE WE HAVE JUST
HAD THE BILL FOR A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME?
IT WILL OBVIOUSLY IMPACT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.
>> I THINK THE ANSWER THAT I GAVE WAS PERHAPS YOUR TIME MIGHT
BE BETTER SPENT TAKING A LOOK AT THE BILL.
>> AS THE CLOCK TICKED TOWARD MIDNIGHT, MIKE PENCE GOT TO THE
HILL. THE FIRST VOTE BEGAN AT 20
MINUTES AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE LAST LEVER DEMOCRATS COULD
PULL WHICH WAS A REQUEST TO SEND THE BILL TO COMMITTEE FOR
DEBATE. THAT BILL ON CERTAINLY FAIL AND
DID IT. EVEN WITH THAT FIRST VOTE, THEY
KEPT THE FIRST VOTE OPEN. IT WAS BECOMING CLEAR, HE WAS
STALLING. NEARBY, JOHN McCAIN WAS TALKING
TO TWO SENATORS WHO CRITICIZED THE BILL.
THEN PENCE WAS TALKING TO McCAIN.
McCONNELL DID NOT HAVE THE VOTES AND THE VICE PRESIDENT WAS
TRYING TO CHANGE IT. AND THEY KEPT THE VOTE OPEN FOR
OVER AN HOUR. THE CLEAREST FORESHADOWING
HAPPENED WHEN McCAIN WALKED OVER TO DEMOCRATS.
THEY WERE JOKING AROUND AND SMILING.
HE EVEN PUT HIS ARM AROUND DIANE FEINSTEIN.
IT WAS AT 1:30. MUKOWSKI VOTED NO.
McCAIN DIDN'T ANSWER WHEN HIS NAME WAS CALLED.
HE TALKED ABOUT THIS SECONDS LATER AND ASKED FOR THE
CLEARING'S ATTENTION. >> MR. PETERS?
>> AS BUZZ FEED NOTED, YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS ONE MOMENT LIKE A
RENAISSANCE PAINTING, WHAT EACH PERSON WAS DOING WHEN THAT THIRD
VOTE WAS ASKED. THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
BEFORE WHEN THEY WITNESS IT. BERNIE SANDERS NUDGING THE VOTE
WAS COMING. BOB CASEY ON HIS FEET WAITING IN
ANTICIPATION. AND SHERROD BROWN SLAPPING THE
DESK. AND ELIZABETH WARREN LEANING IN
TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND THEN UNABLE TO RESIST, CHEERING
FOR McCAIN'S VOTE. CHUCK SCHUMER TRYING TO QUIET
THEM WITH THE AUDIBLE GASPS. AND MITCH McCONNELL, ARMS
FOLDED, STARING AT McCAIN, WATCHING HIM WALK OFF THE FLOOR
KNOWING THE BILL WAS DEAD. THE CROWDS WOULD FIND OUT
SECONDS LATER. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
AFTER THAT VOTE, LEADER McCONNELL SAID IT IS TIME TO
MOVE ON AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEFEAT.
>> THIS IS CLEARLY A DISAPPOINTING MOMENT.
WE WORKED HARD AND EVERYBODY ON THIS SIDE CAN CERTAINLY ATTEST
TO THE FACT WE WORKED REALLY HARD.
TO TRY TO DEVELOP A CONSENSUS FOR A BETTER WAY FORWARD.
SO
