You're right - passing bills wo reading them is a new tactic. However, if you had taken the time to read your citation, you would have seen it is a Democrat tactic and not a Republican one. The Democrats were in the majority.

To quote from you citation:

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., a veteran of energy battles in the Senate, pointed out that when the Clean Air Act was debated in 1990, senators spent five weeks scrutinizing it and 162 amendments were considered.

"Now can you imagine this bill is far more important in terms of ramifications to the American economy," Domenici said. "It is probably the biggest, most complicated bill we've had, certainly in the 36 years that I've been a senator."