I am glad that Senate Parliamentarian is enforcing the Byrd rule
The Senate Parliamentarian brings the hammer down on Donald Trump by ripping out several key sections from his disastrous "big, beautiful bill" with the stroke of a pen.
Finally, some good news about one of the worst bills in history...
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has ruled that key sections of massive, bloated legislation run afoul of the Byrd Rule — which puts restrictions on what can be included in reconciliation bills — and so must be removed if the bill is to be passed on a simple majority vote.
"The Senate Parliamentarian advised that certain provisions in the Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Betrayal will be subject to the Byrd Rule – ultimately meaning they will need to be stripped from the bill to ensure it complies with the rules of reconciliation,” said Senator Jeff Merkley, ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.
"As much as Senate Republicans would prefer to throw out the rule book and advance their families lose and billionaires win agenda, there are rules that must be followed and Democrats are making sure those rules are enforced,” he added.
MacDonough singled out sections that fall under the purview of the Senate committees on Banking, Environment and Public Works, and Armed Services.
One of the flagged provisions would have slashed the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by $6.4 billion, eliminating the agency in what would have amounted to a massive handout to predatory corporations.
MacDonough also cut out a provision that would have gutted $1.4 billion in funding for Federal Reserve staff pay, $293 million in funding for the Office of Financial Research funding, and $771 million that would have resulted in the elimination of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
She blocked a planned repeal of funding authorized under President Biden's historic Inflation Reduction Act as well as a repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s multi-pollutant emissions standards for certain vehicles produced after 2027.
Another targeted provision would have reduced appropriations to the Defense Department if spending plans aren't submitted on time.
While Senate Majority Leader John Thune could move to overrule the parliamentarian’s ruling with a floor vote, he has already signaled that he likely will not do so. Such a radical step would establish a new precedent that would inevitably backfire on Republicans in the future.
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