Chuck Schumer, to put it kindly, is not.
However, the long-serving senator, with a tenure of 44 years in Congress, isn’t about to leave quietly. Instead, he continues to criticize what many consider a notably successful Trump presidency while clinging to his unsuccessful progressive ideals.
In a recent move to impede Trump’s agenda, he is reportedly planning to have the Senate clerk read aloud the entire text of the major legislation, consuming an estimated 12-15 hours in the process, effectively delaying the proceedings:
UPDATE: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has decided to require the clerk to read the full 940-page One Big Beautiful Bill on the Senate floor. This action is expected to consume around 12 hours, further postponing the vote on President Trump’s significant legislative proposal.… pic.twitter.com/eWOahZS5GE
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) June 28, 2025
Although the strategy is not particularly common, it’s been done before, and in all fairness, Republicans have resorted to the tactic in the past, too:
The maneuver, which was described by a person granted anonymity to describe private plans, is meant to slow down Senate passage of the megabill and give Democrats more time to raise awareness of provisions inside of it. The reading of the bill by clerks is provided for under Senate rules but is almost always waived by unanimous consent.
Senate aides estimate reading the 940-page bill could take about 15 hours. When Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) forced the reading of Democrats’ 628-page American Rescue Act in 2021, it took 10 hours and 44 minutes. (Johnson said he bought the clerks a case of wine afterward.)
