A) Senate Democrats tell Fox this morning they were surprised that a bill to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through early August passed the Senate on the fly late last night.

B) It’s traditional for the minority party in the Senate to sometimes engineer “stunts” on the floor. During these parliamentary gymnastics, the minority party dares the majority party to block legislation on an important issue.

C) Such exercises are usually a fait accompli, with the minority taking the floor to crow about something and the majority party then then stalling the minority effort. But everyone usually knows the outcome in advance. The majority will stand in the way of the minority.

D) There are three ways in which the Senate can approve a bill: A roll call vote, via voice vote (where those for shout “aye!” and those opposed “nay!” The loudest side wins). And, by unanimous consent.

E) Unanimous consent is where any senator can ask unanimous consent (UC) that the Senate approve a bill…and, so long as no senator objects on the floor, the bill is passed. You can make the sun rise in the west in the Senate if you have unanimous consent.

F) Ninety-nine senators could be in favor of a bill. And all it would take is one senator to object and block something.

G) It's typical in the Senate for the sides to pre-bake, offstage, various unanimous consent requests. In other words, the minority and majority have consulted in advance and everyone knows the outcome of the ahead of time.

H) But that’s not what happened Wednesday night – catching almost everyone by surprise.

I) This is one of the first times in years that the Senate has passed a bona fide legislative request via unanimous consent request without having everything worked out in advance. This was a rare, live, raw, unanimous consent request, which passed.

Here’s what unfolded:

J) Senate Democrats came to the floor and expected the usual objection to their proposal to extend the PPP. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) expressed reservations and attempted to change the Democrats plan.

K) But Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business Committee, objected to Scott’s proposal. But when Democrats again pressed the issue, Scott nor any other Republican objected to extending the PPP program through August 8.

L) “We were shocked,” conceded one senior Senate Democratic source at the turn of events in the Senate.

Fox is told that GOPerswere concerned of standing in the way of the proposal and that there wasn’t a GOPer willing to object, considering the overall popularity of the PPP.

M) In other words, what was supposed to be a press stunt by Democrats turned into on-the-spot passage of a bill to re-up the PPP.

The PPP was set to expire last night with more than $130 billion still not allocated.

N) The PPP plan now goes to the House. A senior House Democratic leadership source tells Fox there are discussions about how to approach the legislation to sync up with the Senate. But House Democrats told Fox they were surprised at the turn of events in the Senate, too.