Schumer Says Democrats Will Read ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Out Loud To Slow Down Passage

Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer announced Saturday that Senate Democrats will force an out loud reading of the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” according to a post on social media.

The goal of this is to slow down the bill’s passage in the Senate and to give Democrats time to raise concerns about provisions within the bill, Schumer claimed in a post to X on Saturday. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE — ‘Something For Every American’: Speaker Johnson Touts ‘America First’ Wins In Trump’s Megabill)

“BREAKING: I will object to Republicans moving forward on their Big, Ugly Bill without reading it on the Senate floor,” he said.

BREAKING: I will object to Republicans moving forward on their Big, Ugly Bill without reading it on the Senate floor

Republicans won’t tell America what’s in the bill

So Democrats are forcing it to be read start to finish on the floor

We will be here all night if that’s what…

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 28, 2025

“Republicans won’t tell America what’s in the bill. So Democrats are forcing it to be read start to finish on the floor. We will be here all night if that’s what it takes to read it,” the post continued.

The reading of proposed bills by clerks is allowed under Senate rules but typically is waived by unanimous consent, according to Politico.

Senate aides estimate that the reading of the 940-page bill could take up to 15 hours, the outlet noted.

In 2021, Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson forced an out-loud reading of the 628-page COVID-19 relief bill after he objected to the bill having anything to do with COVID.

“Since more than 90% of this “COVID relief” belief is not even related to COVID, I think we need a full reading of the bill,” Johnson said in a post to X on March 3, 2021.

Since more than 90% of this “COVID relief” bill is not even related to COVID, I think we need a full reading of the bill.

Yes, it could take 10 hours but the American people deserve to know what’s in it. https://t.co/QQDoCfkrHZ

— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) March 4, 2021

“Yes, it could take 10 hours, but the American people deserve to know what’s in it,” he continued.

It took Senate aides just over 10 hours to read the entirety of the COVID-19 relief bill out loud, according to NBC 4.