In a last ditch effort to stall the Republican tax overhaul, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) took to the Senate floor where he read passages from Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in protest.
“He hasn’t stopped Christmas from coming, it came,” said Murphy. “Somehow or other, it came just the same.”
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow. Stood puzzling and puzzling: ‘How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!’ He puzzled for three hours, till his puzzler was sore.”
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before: ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store — Maybe Christmas-perhaps-means a little bit more.'”
“This time of the year is a time in which we think about each other,” said Murphy upon concluding his monologue.
The moment recalled that other time senators were serenaded with Dr. Seuss when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) read from “Green Eggs and Ham” during a 2013 filibuster to protest Obamacare.
The spirited rendition, however, could not stop the GOP’s long promised tax overhaul. The bill, which already made it’s way tortuously through the House and Senate, is now up for a final vote in both chambers before Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law. And yes, it passed on Tuesday.
Trump has promised to sign it before Christmas. It would mark his first major legislative achievement as president.
Watch above.
7 Times Matt Lauer Came Under Fire, From Sexual Harassment Accusations to Ann Curry Ousting (Photos)
Matt Lauer was terminated by NBC News on Wednesday after the company received a complaint of sexual harassment against him. But that's not the first time the longtime "Today" host found himself in hot water.
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Rumors of extramarital affairs dogged Lauer during his tenure on "Today," with tabloid reports linking him to other members of the show, including Natalie Morales. In 2010, NBC News finally responded to the allegations, calling them "completely inaccurate and unfounded" and "reckless and harmful to the Lauer family."
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Ann Curry was ousted from "Today" in 2012 as the show was losing ground to ABC's "Good Morning America," and after she issued a tearful on-air goodbye Lauer was widely viewed as the reason for her departure. New York Magazine later reported that the two had a tense off-camera relationship, and though Curry took the fall, Lauer was more to blame for the show's declining viewership.
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In 2012, Lauer was criticized for asking Anne Hathaway about an upskirt photo taken at the premiere of "Les Miserables" and attempting to make a joke of the situation by saying he'd "seen a lot of you lately." Hathaway was praised for how she handled the situation, gently shutting down the line of questioning by saying it was unfortunate that the culture "commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants."
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In 2006, Lauer's wife Annette Roque filed for divorce, alleging that she suffered "cruel and inhumane" treatment at the hands of her controlling husband. The two eventually reconciled and Roque, who was pregnant at the time, withdrew the paperwork, but the documents were obtained and published by the National Enquirer in 2014.
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Lauer's former co-anchor Katie Couric joked about his behavior in a 2012 interview with Andy Cohen. "He pinches me on the ass a lot," she said, calling it Lauer's most annoying habit. Video of the interview, which was handled jokingly at the time, was recirculated following his termination for a sexual misconduct allegation.
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Lauer moderated a pair of NBC News town halls during the 2016 presidential election, which were widely slammed for the way he questioned the two candidates. Lauer repeatedly asked Hillary Clinton about her email server and rushed past other, more concrete policy issues. Meanwhile, he was perceived to have gone much softer on Donald Trump, failing to press the then-nominee on repeated falsehoods.
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Lauer was finally axed by NBC News and removed from "Today" in 2017, after the company received a "detailed complaint" from a colleague accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior.
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Morning show host was axed following a sexual misconduct allegation by an NBC News colleague
Matt Lauer was terminated by NBC News on Wednesday after the company received a complaint of sexual harassment against him. But that's not the first time the longtime "Today" host found himself in hot water.