Republicans hope to hurt Democrats with a series of tough votes on proposed changes to the party’s mammoth bill, called the Inflation Relief Act, as the Senate prepares for a long night of round-the-clock voting in what is known as vote- a-rama. Among the amendments Republicans will bring during the vote-a-rama include measures they say target natural gas prices, striking imported and domestic oil tax proposals, reducing natural gas prices with domestic energy production onshore and preventing IRS audits from targeting small business owners. GOP leaders were optimistic about the chances of securing last-minute changes to the plan, despite their overwhelming opposition to the package, in case it could make the legislation tougher to pass in the House. However, there is doubt among Republicans whether they will be able to stick to the bill. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) told The Hill that when one party uses the special fiscal rules that Democrats use to avoid a conflict, “the other side will end up, you know, making amendments that generally disappear cleanly anyway .” He said amendments usually end up being used “for political purposes”. Other amendments Republicans are expected to highlight during the marathon vote include one offered by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) that deals with Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allows immigrants to be quickly deported at the border . Voting could be difficult for some vulnerable Democrats ahead of the upcoming midterm races in November. Earlier this year, the Biden administration drew backlash from Republicans, as well as resistance from some Democrats, over plans to roll back the policy. The effort hit a roadblock in May after a federal judge temporarily stopped the administration from ending the policy, but Lankford also helped lead a bipartisan push that would limit the White House’s authority on the issue. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) called the vote, which could last through the night and into the morning, a “rare” opportunity for voters to see where members stand on critical issues. Vulnerable Democrats look to Title 42 for cover Read full text: Senate climate, tax bill swells to 755 pages, passes key CBO test “Sometimes you don’t get a vote on some of these things, so it’s good to bring them up,” Tuberville told The Hill, adding that he also has several proposals lined up for consideration. “I got a couple at taxes, a couple at the border if we get to them,” Tuberville said. “We got a lot of them. Well, we’ll see. We might be there this time tomorrow night.” Alex Bolton contributed.
