Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulRon Paul hospitalized in Texas The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Rand Paul says he can't judge 'guilt or innocence' in Breonna Taylor case MORE (R-Ky.) blocked the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee from continuing a mark-up hearing on Wednesday in a sharp floor exchange with the committee’s chairman, Sen. Tom Harkin Thomas (Tom) Richard HarkinThe Memo: Trump attacks on Harris risk backfiring Ernst challenges Greenfield to six debates in Iowa Senate race Biden unveils disability rights plan: 'Your voices must be heard' MORE (D-Iowa).

Paul insisted on enforcement of a rule that limits hearings from going beyond two hours' time while the Senate is in session. He demanded at least one hearing and longer deliberation on a long-anticipated 868-page education reform bill expected to soon pass out of the committee.

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“There have been no hearings on No Child Left Behind since I have been in the Senate … [I] think this is an affront,” the freshman senator said from the floor. “[T]his process is rotten from the top to the bottom. [W]hat I would ask for is that we have a hearing.”

Harkin and Sen. Al Franken Alan (Al) Stuart FrankenGOP Senate candidate says Trump, Republicans will surprise in Minnesota Peterson faces fight of his career in deep-red Minnesota district Getting tight — the psychology of cancel culture MORE (D-Minn.) blasted Paul after his objection, suggesting he has not worked well with the committee’s leadership and that his junior status means he missed important hearings held last year, before he was a member of the upper chamber.

“I am sorry the senator wasn’t here last year but the Senate is a continuing body,” said Harkin. “[T]he senator from Kentucky had every opportunity to let us know what we wanted in that bill but I never saw him, I never heard from him.”

Sen. Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.), who is also a member of the committee, “beg[ged]” Paul to stand down and let the mark-up process on the bill continue, arguing that if the committee’s work had to be limited to two hours per day it would take more than two months to complete the legislation.