No Hearing, No Vote Act proposed by Blackburn, Republican senators

A group of Republican senators joined by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Sept. 23 unveiled legislation that would require a full hearing on reconciliation bills before votes can occur on massive tax changes and spending bills.

“Tennesseans have had enough of Democrat scheming,” Sen. Blackburn said. “Taxpayers are already on the hook for trillions of dollars’ worth of radical policies that will take more money out of the pockets of hard-working Americans.”

Sen. Blackburn is among 15 original cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Mike Rounds (R-SD), of the No Hearing, No Vote Act, S. 2823, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN). 

“Democrats are attempting to ram through $3.5 trillion in spending using the budget reconciliation process,” said Sen. Hoeven. “The No Hearing, No Vote bill is an effort to stop this massive tax-and-spend legislation by requiring that any reconciliation bill have hearings before any floor votes.”

“No Hearing, No Vote puts an end to the left’s backdoor budgets and forces politicians to own up to the citizens footing the bill,” said Sen. Blackburn. 

Under S. 2823, it would not be in order in the Senate to consider any reconciliation bill on the Senate floor unless the reconciliation bill was ordered reported to the Senate by the committee of the Senate receiving reconciliation instructions, or reported by the Senate Budget Committee after receiving recommendations ordered to be reported to the Budget Committee by one or more Senate committees receiving reconciliation instructions, according to a summary provided by the lawmakers.

Among other provisions, the requirement could be waived or suspended in the Senate only by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members, the summary says.

“This commonsense legislation ensures that both Democrats and Republicans have a voice at the table when considering significant funding decisions,” said Sen. Burr. 

“At the very least, taxpayers across Iowa and the nation deserve to know how and where their hard-earned dollars are being doled out,” added Sen. Ernst. “That’s why I’m backing this simple effort to shed light on the Democrats’ out-of-control spending for Iowans and Americans who will be footing the bill.”

No Hearing, No Vote was first introduced in 2017 by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 39 Democrats.