The Republican temper tantrum over health insurance reform extended way beyond the hyperbole flying on the Senate floor, and into committee hearing rooms, where completely unrelated legislative efforts ground to a halt because of Republican obstructionism.
Think Progress has the background:
There is a little-known rule in the Senate stating that hearings can’t happen after 2:00 p.m. each day without unanimous consent. However, every day, at the start of business, the Senate generally agrees, by unanimous consent, to waive this rule and continue with the necessary business of holding hearings.... Republicans, however, are now refusing to give unanimous consent and are blocking the hearings.
This protest, as John McCain promised it would, broke up a handful of committees' business, "a Commerce Committee hearing on a national broadband plan, a Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, and a Homeland Security hearing on federal financial management."
Ironically, that federal financial management hearing also scheduled to hear testimony on the importance of transparency in government, with the Sunlight Foundation’s Executive Director Ellen Miller. Here's her abbreviated testimony.
The Senate Majority Leader's office responds
"Senator McCain's promised obstruction comes to reality just a day later. 'The Party of No' wouldn't even agree to let Senate committees meet today. Ironically, as they make false claims about transparency regarding health reform, they're shutting down a committee hearing today on transparency in government. The bottom line is that as millions of Americans are learning about the immediate benefits of health reform, Republicans are throwing a temper tantrum and grinding important Senate business to a halt."
