Latest news with #MacDonough
E&E News
3 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Thune vows not to overrule parliamentarian on megabill
Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled Monday that Republicans won't move to overrule the chamber's parliamentarian during an upcoming debate on President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' 'We're not going there,' Thune said when asked by reporters about overruling parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who will play a special role in vetting the bill for compliance with the strict Senate rules allowing Republicans to bypass a Democratic filibuster. Senate staffers met with MacDonough during last week's recess to vet the House-passed megabill and talk through their own ideas, conversations first reported by POLITICO. Advertisement Thune said that committee staffers tasked with drafting the legislation will continue conferring with her this week and next week. At the end of the process, MacDonough will make rulings on whether various policies comply with the chamber's rules.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate parliamentarian will have final say on some provisions in Trump's funding bill
No one elected her and you don't hear much about her, but she's about to be one of the most important people on Capitol Hill. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough can usually be seen perched atop the Senate dais, helping to make sure the Senate floor runs according to the rules. But she's about to step into the role as arbiter of the Senate's reconciliation package, where she'll have the final say in whether a number of key provisions in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act are in keeping with the Senate's rules. Senate Republicans want to make changes to the bill the House passed by a single vote and sent to them. But Senate rules could force a number of changes they find less desirable, too. A veto of any provision by MacDonough could mean major parts of the package are thrown to the wayside, so her rulings will be watched closely by Democrats and Republicans alike in the coming weeks. MORE: Trump's funding bill runs into Senate GOP fiscal hawks MacDonough is responsible for making calls on whether the provisions in the bill are in keeping with the Byrd Rule, named after the late Sen. Robert Byrd, who helped institute the rules governing budget reconciliation packages like President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill." MacDonough has been parliamentarian since 2012 after serving as senior assistant parliamentarian for 10 years. She is the first woman to fill the job since it was created in 1935. She was called to make several rulings when Democrats used reconciliation to get then-President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 as well as the COVID relief package the year before. She also advised Chief Justice John Roberts during Trump's impeachment trials. In order for the Senate to use the reconciliation process, which allows it to pass budget packages like this with a simple majority of votes instead of the usual 60 necessary to overcome the Senate's filibuster, everything in the bill must follow the Byrd Rule. In the Senate, the process of the Budget Committee reviewing the bill and the parliamentarian to make sure it's up to snuff is sometimes referred to cheekily as the "Byrd Bath." So what are the rules? The Byrd Rule bars the Senate from including any "extraneous provisions" in budget bills. Anything in the bill, according to the rule, should be necessary to implement the underlying budget resolution that Congress already passed. Simply stated: If a policy provision doesn't have an effect on the budget, it can't be included. Even budget changes that are "merely incidental" to policy provisions are considered out of order. MORE: Trump administration live updates Now, things are always a bit more complicated in the Senate. The Byrd rule also prohibits Congress from touching Social Security in a reconciliation bill, from increasing the deficit for a fiscal year beyond the period included in the bill, and more. But its basic form is this: everything in the bill must be related to the budget. It may seem in the weeds, but this review process can have meaningful impacts on reconciliation bills. In the Democrat-backed "Build Back Better" package in 2022, for example, the parliamentarian struck a number of provisions Democrats wanted focused on immigration reform. Democrats ended up having to give up those provisions to pass their package under then-President Joe Biden. Big policy agenda items that are critical to some Republicans in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could in theory be slashed out by the parliamentarian, so the process matters. There are a number of provisions facing a tenuous path in the Senate because of the Byrd Rule. Democrats are already vowing to fight policies they say are out of order. "In the Senate, our committees have been working overtime to prepare for the Byrd Bath, targeting the litany of policies included in the Republican plan that are in clear violation of the reconciliation rules and in some cases, an assault on our very democracy," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter to his colleagues Sunday night. We'll ultimately have to wait for MacDonough to rule, but if it sounds like policy and not budget, it might be at risk. Here are a few provisions in the House-passed bill that appear to be potentially at risk of being struck out by the parliamentarian. This is not an exhaustive list and doesn't account for things that Senate Republicans might want to change or remove from the bill: AI regulations: The House bill includes language that prohibits state and local governments from enforcing "any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems" over a 10-year period. Federal court provisions: The bill creates a new requirement that could restrict how parties suing the federal government get relief in court. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, as recently as Friday suggested at a town hall, when pressed by a constituent about the provision, that it likely wouldn't pass muster in the Byrd Bath. "I don't see any argument that could ever be made that this affects mandatory spending or revenues, so I just don't see that I don't see that getting into the Senate bills," Ernst said then. Planned Parenthood funding ban: The House bill includes a provision that would ban Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood if it provides abortion services. The parliamentarian stripped a similar provision from a 2017 reconciliation package. It stands to reason she could rule similarly this go-round. Senate parliamentarian will have final say on some provisions in Trump's funding bill originally appeared on
3 days ago
- Business
Senate parliamentarian will have final say on some provisions in Trump's funding bill
No one elected her and you don't hear much about her, but she's about to be one of the most important people on Capitol Hill. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough can usually be seen perched atop the Senate dais, helping to make sure the Senate floor runs according to the rules. But she's about to step into the role as arbiter of the Senate's reconciliation package, where she'll have the final say in whether a number of key provisions in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act are in keeping with the Senate's rules. Senate Republicans want to make changes to the bill the House passed by a single vote and sent to them. But Senate rules could force a number of changes they find less desirable, too. A veto of any provision by MacDonough could mean major parts of the package are thrown to the wayside, so her rulings will be watched closely by Democrats and Republicans alike in the coming weeks. MacDonough is responsible for making calls on whether the provisions in the bill are in keeping with the Byrd Rule, named after the late Sen. Robert Byrd, who helped institute the rules governing budget reconciliation packages like President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill." MacDonough has been parliamentarian since 2012 after serving as senior assistant parliamentarian for 10 years. She is the first woman to fill the job since it was created in 1935. She was called to make several rulings when Democrats used reconciliation to get then-President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 as well as the COVID relief package the year before. She also advised Chief Justice John Roberts during Trump's impeachment trials. The Byrd Rule In order for the Senate to use the reconciliation process, which allows it to pass budget packages like this with a simple majority of votes instead of the usual 60 necessary to overcome the Senate's filibuster, everything in the bill must follow the Byrd Rule. In the Senate, the process of the Budget Committee reviewing the bill and the parliamentarian to make sure it's up to snuff is sometimes referred to cheekily as the "Byrd Bath." So what are the rules? The Byrd Rule bars the Senate from including any "extraneous provisions" in budget bills. Anything in the bill, according to the rule, should be necessary to implement the underlying budget resolution that Congress already passed. Simply stated: If a policy provision doesn't have an effect on the budget, it can't be included. Even budget changes that are "merely incidental" to policy provisions are considered out of order. Now, things are always a bit more complicated in the Senate. The Byrd rule also prohibits Congress from touching Social Security in a reconciliation bill, from increasing the deficit for a fiscal year beyond the period included in the bill, and more. But its basic form is this: everything in the bill must be related to the budget. It may seem in the weeds, but this review process can have meaningful impacts on reconciliation bills. In the Democrat-backed "Build Back Better" package in 2022, for example, the parliamentarian struck a number of provisions Democrats wanted focused on immigration reform. Democrats ended up having to give up those provisions to pass their package under then-President Joe Biden. Big policy agenda items that are critical to some Republicans in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could in theory be slashed out by the parliamentarian, so the process matters. What does it mean for Trump's megabill? There are a number of provisions facing a tenuous path in the Senate because of the Byrd Rule. Democrats are already vowing to fight policies they say are out of order. "In the Senate, our committees have been working overtime to prepare for the Byrd Bath, targeting the litany of policies included in the Republican plan that are in clear violation of the reconciliation rules and in some cases, an assault on our very democracy," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter to his colleagues Sunday night. We'll ultimately have to wait for MacDonough to rule, but if it sounds like policy and not budget, it might be at risk. Here are a few provisions in the House-passed bill that appear to be potentially at risk of being struck out by the parliamentarian. This is not an exhaustive list and doesn't account for things that Senate Republicans might want to change or remove from the bill: AI regulations: The House bill includes language that prohibits state and local governments from enforcing "any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems" over a 10-year period. Federal court provisions: The bill creates a new requirement that could restrict how parties suing the federal government get relief in court. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, as recently as Friday suggested at a town hall, when pressed by a constituent about the provision, that it likely wouldn't pass muster in the Byrd Bath. "I don't see any argument that could ever be made that this affects mandatory spending or revenues, so I just don't see that I don't see that getting into the Senate bills," Ernst said then. Planned Parenthood funding ban: The House bill includes a provision that would ban Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood if it provides abortion services. The parliamentarian stripped a similar provision from a 2017 reconciliation package. It stands to reason she could rule similarly this go-round.
Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
New megabill text dropping this week
IN TODAY'S EDITION:— This week's megabill text schedule— Rescissions package coming today— Lawmakers hit with AM radio curveball Senate committees will start rolling out their portions of the GOP megabill as soon as today, providing a first look at how Republicans in the chamber plan to address some of the House's most controversial proposals. Here's the draft-text timeline our Benjamin Guggenheim and Jordain Carney reported Monday night, though it could change: — Armed Services on Tuesday — Environment and Public Works on Wednesday — Commerce on Thursday — Banking on Friday The scheduling logic: Just as the House sequenced its megabill markups from least-to-most controversial to buy lawmakers more time to resolve their stickier policy debates, the Senate will have committees release their least-contentious draft bills first. Finance, which has jurisdiction over tax cuts and changes to Medicaid, is widely expected to be among the final Senate panels to release text, if not the last. The massive tax-and-spending package will 'most likely' hit the Senate floor the last full week of June, ahead of the July 4 recess, per Majority Leader John Thune. It could come even sooner — but that depends on how conversations go with the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough. Committee staffers started vetting the megabill with MacDonough last week, and will continue their talks this week and next. MacDonough's job is to recommend which House-passed provisions and policy priorities must be dropped to comply with the strict rules governing the filibuster-skirting budget reconciliation process. Thune signaled Monday that Republicans won't seek to override their referee if they don't like her rulings. But he said he hoped MacDonough could be convinced to greenlight inclusion of the so-called REINS Act 'in some fashion.' The longstanding conservative proposal would give Congress more authority to approve agency regulations. The chamber's lightning-fast turnaround nods to the weeks of behind-the-scenes work by GOP senators and their aides to prepare for the domestic policy bill's arrival from across the Capitol. It also shows the immense pressure they're under from the White House to get moving on advancing President Donald Trump's sweeping legislative agenda. The president is starting to play his own hand. Trump met separately Monday at the White House with both Thune and Sen. Rick Scott, who wants deeper spending cuts but told Lisa 'we all want to get a bill done.' Trump also spoke by phone with Sens. Ron Johnson, who's pushing a return to pre-pandemic spending levels, and Josh Hawley, who's opposed to some of the Medicaid changes endorsed by the Republican House. And Jordain reports the president will likely meet with Thune and Finance Chair Mike Crapo either this week or next to talk through the details of the tax portion of the bill. One key fight to watch this week: Look to see if the Senate backs away from the House's plan to reup government auctions of federally controlled spectrum. Sen. Mike Rounds has drawn a red line on it, saying Monday that 'we'll have to take out the spectrum language that's in the bill right now. That simply is a non-starter for me.' GOOD TUESDAY MORNING. And welcome to Maia Nehme, a Politico Journalism Institute student who will be helping us out on the newsletter this week. Follow our live coverage at the Inside Congress blog at and email your Inside Congress scribes at lkashinsky@ mmccarthy@ and bleonard@ THE SKED The House is in session and voting on a bill, named after the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, which requires the GAO to provide a report on esophageal cancer, among other legislation at 6:30 p.m. — Rules will have a hearing on a major package to fight the opioid crisis and two SBA-related bills at 4 p.m. — House Republican and Democratic leadership will hold separate private meetings shortly before evening votes. The Senate is in session and voting on Michael Duffey's nomination to be undersecretary of Defense and to end debate on Allison Hooker's nomination to be an undersecretary of State at 11:30 a.m. The Senate will vote on Hooker's nomination and to end debate on Dale Marks to be an assistant secretary of Defense at 2:15 p.m. — Finance will vote on Billy Long's nomination to be IRS Commissioner at 9:30 a.m. It will have a hearing on the nominations of Joseph Barloon to be a deputy U.S. trade representative, Janet Dhillon to be the director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Brian Morrissey Jr. to be general counsel for Treasury at 10:30 a.m. — Appropriations will have a hearing on Trump's fiscal 2026 budget requests for the Education Department, with testimony from Secretary Linda McMahon, at 10 a.m.; and for the SEC, with testimony from Chair Paul Atkins, at 2:30 p.m. — Republican and Democratic senators will have separate weekly conference lunches at 12:45 p.m. — Judiciary will have a hearing on district judges ruling against Trump at 2:30 p.m. — Intel will have a closed-door briefing at 2:30 p.m. — Agriculture will vote on legislation to allow whole milk in public school lunches, followed by a hearing on Michael Boren's nomination to be the undersecretary of Agriculture at 3 p.m. The rest of the week: The House will take up the opioid legislation and SBA-related bills. The Senate will continue to work through Trump's nominees, including Edward Walsh to be ambassador to Ireland. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Trump's $9.4B rescissions package expected today The White House plans to send up a package today outlining $9.4 billion in spending cuts, asking Congress to nix current funding for NPR, PBS and foreign aid, our Jennifer Scholtes writes in. House Republican leaders helped shape the so-called rescissions request over the last few weeks in a back-and-forth with the White House. But Senate Republicans are exploring options for amending the package. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said she isn't sure yet if her committee will mark up the package, telling reporters Monday night that Republicans have been talking to the parliamentarian about the 'very, very complicated' rules around altering a rescissions request. White House budget director Russ Vought, who met Monday with Speaker Mike Johnson, has said he's open to transmitting additional rescissions packages if Congress approves the first one. He's also strategizing with House GOP leaders about how to make DOGE cuts permanent, even with architect Elon Musk no longer leading the charge. One option the budget director is increasingly vocalizing: Pocket rescissions. That's when the White House sends a rescissions request toward the end of the fiscal year and lets the funds expire. Thune faces a divisive crypto problem Thune said Monday he wants to finish landmark cryptocurrency legislation 'in the very near future.' But his pledge to allow an open amendment process could come back to bite Republicans trying to pass one of Trump's biggest non-reconciliation priorities, our Jasper Goodman reports. For instance, there's a distinct possibility Republicans could end up having to vote on a polarizing amendment that would force credit card processors like Visa, MasterCard and American Express to compete on swipe fees. This language, long championed by Sens. Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall, would pit two powerful lobbying forces — the financial sector and major retailers — against each other. If either lawmaker demands a vote on it, it could derail progress for crypto supporters, who are closing in on their biggest legislative win to date. Sen. Thom Tillis has warned the provision, if adopted, would be 'a deal killer.' Thune stands firm on Russia sanctions bill The Senate majority leader isn't caving to growing internal pressure to take up Sen. Lindsey Graham's bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, saying he doesn't want to step on the White House's strategy. 'It very well could be something we take up in this work period,' Thune told reporters Monday. 'But obviously we're working with the White House to try and ensure that what we do and when we do it works well with the negotiations they've got underway.' But senators who overwhelmingly support the legislation are pushing Thune not to wait, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling Monday for Republican leaders to put the bill on the floor 'as soon as possible.' POLICY RUNDOWN FIRST IN INSIDE CONGRESS: AM RADIO CURVEBALL — Automakers are wading into a major battle on Capitol Hill over how people listen to radio programming in their cars — a move that could further complicate the path forward for a popular bill that mandates AM capabilities in all new vehicles, Ben reports. In a new letter first reviewed by POLITICO, two trade groups for leading carmakers are throwing their weight behind tying the so-called AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act to the American Music Fairness Act, which would compel broadcasters to pay royalties to the copyright holders of songs played on the airwaves. 'Congress should not mandate the use of an infringing platform that exploits artists by not paying them for their work,' the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and the Zero Emission Transportation Association wrote to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, which have jurisdiction over the music payment bill. Adding another issue to the AM radio debate could get messy. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' support for a two-bill package thwarted plans to advance the AM radio bill as part of the larger government funding measure Congress passed last December. Broadcasters backing the AM radio bill have also opposed the music payment bill, arguing it would amount to onerous new fees on local radio stations. Car manufacturers say AM radio is outdated, and being forced to install the technology in new cars could prompt major marketplace disruptions. SBA SPARS WITH SANCTUARY CITIES — The House will vote this Thursday and Friday on two immigration-related bills that would hamstring Small Business Administration activities in localities that don't comply with federal immigration laws, Maia reports. The legislation would codify new SBA rules announced earlier this year: One that would move SBA offices in so-called sanctuary cities into jurisdictions that comply with immigration enforcement efforts and another that would require SBA loan applicants to provide documentation of their citizenship status. One of the bills, which advocates say was written in response to 'public safety threats' against SBA employees in sanctuary cities, comes hot on the heels of the May 29 release of a DHS list of jurisdictions allegedly flouting federal immigration law. DHS removed the list from its website Sunday after widespread backlash from local officials about misspellings and the inclusion of cities that support Trump's hard-line immigration policies, according to The Associated Press. OBAMA ENTERS THE MEGABILL CHAT — Barack Obama is stepping up to help defend his signature 2010 health care law from the latest round of Republican attacks. 'Here's something everybody should be paying attention to: Congressional Republicans are trying to weaken the Affordable Care Act and put millions of people at risk of losing their health care,' the former president said in a post on X. 'Call your Senators and tell them we can't let that happen.' Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on Senate Finance, also told reporters Monday he believes the House-passed megabill is doubling as a 'backdoor' effort to repeal the health law after Republicans failed to do so in 2017. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said the House GOP's proposed elimination of certain Affordable Care Act provisions could lead to more than 3 million people losing insurance. A LONG TIME COMING — Senate Finance will vote today to advance the nomination of Billy Long, Trump's pick to lead the IRS, six months after the president announced the selection. In his confirmation hearing last month, Long sought to distance himself from his promotion of certain tribal tax credits that turned out to be nonexistent. Democrats have accused the former Missouri Republican of being too partisan for the job, and plan to bring that up again today. 'I'm going to walk in there and say, 'the Republicans have always talked about how they didn't want the IRS involved in politics,'' Wyden told Mia and Maia. 'And all the signals indicate that Billy Long is going to be up to his eyeballs in politics if he's confirmed.' The IRS has had five separate acting commissioners since the beginning of the year amid massive layoffs and cost-cutting moves. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: CAMPAIGN STOP ERNST DRAWS ANOTHER CHALLENGER — Sen. Joni Ernst's viral 'we're all going to die' response to constituent concerns about Medicaid cuts has earned her a new Democratic challenger. State Rep. J.D. Scholten told our Andrew Howard that 'I have to do this' after Ernst 'disrespected' Iowans. Scholten has run unsuccessfully for Congress twice before. Ernst and other Republican senators contended Monday that her comment was taken out of context. 'I'm very compassionate and you need to listen to the entire conversation,' she told reporters at the Capitol. 'We want to protect the most vulnerable.' TUNNEL TALK NEW USCP CHIEF — The U.S. Capitol Police will be led by Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher on an acting basis while the search continues for a permanent leader, our Chris Marquette, Nicholas Wu and Katherine Tully-McManus scooped Monday. Gallagher's appointment by the Capitol Police Board comes after Chief Thomas Manger retired last month after about four years on the job. Gallagher has held a variety of roles within the department over the past two decades and is widely seen internally as a strong contender for the permanent position. COMING TO AUDI FIELD SOON — The Congressional Women's Softball game, a charity contest raising money for breast cancer research that pits lawmakers against members of the press corps, is headed to Audi Field this year and will include a televised broadcast for the first time on the Monumental Sports Network. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Sen. Jon Ossoff and Alisha Kramer, a doctor, welcomed Lila Rose Ossoff this weekend. She joins big sister Eva. THE BEST OF THE REST Fetterman defends mental health, desire to stay in Congress, from Cheyanne M. Daniels at POLITICO Menendez has voted. It may be his last vote for a while, from David Wildstein from the New Jersey Globe Antonio Delgado, Hochul's No. 2, Will Challenge Her in Governor's Race, from Jeffrey C. Mays at the New York Times CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE Reilly McBride is now VP of policy and advocacy comms at JPMorganChase. She previously was deputy comms director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and is an Invariant alum. Philip Bednarczyk is now director of the German Marshall Fund's Warsaw office. He previously was an adviser for Europe and Eurasia for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. JOB BOARD Christian McMullen is now communications director for the office of Sen. Ted Budd. He was most recently comms adviser for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hunter Lovell is now press secretary for the Labor Department. He previously was comms director for Rep. Mike Turner and is a Steve Scalise alum. Christian Calvert is now press assistant for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He previously was a program officer for campus advancement at Young America's Foundation. Meghan Taira is joining Resolution Public Affairs as a principal. She previously was legislative director for Schumer. Angela Ryan is now director of operations for Sen. Steve Daines. She previously was director of operations and senior adviser for Rep. Mike Turner. Alyssa Bretan is joining HHS as a confidential assistant for the office of the assistant secretary for legislation. She previously was member services coordinator for the House Budget Committee. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Former Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (98), Solomon Ortiz and Carolyn Bourdeaux …former first lady Jill Biden … WSJ's Michelle Hackman … David Planning of Cornerstone … Defend the Vote's Brian Lemek … Gina Foote of FGS Global … Lilia Horder of Monument Advocacy … Amy McGrath … Patrick Martin of Cozen O'Connor … Kellee Lanza-Bolen … Nick Troiano ... Justin Clark … Manisha Sunil of New Heights Communications TRIVIA MONDAY'S ANSWER: Timothy Trent correctly answered that 96 percent of the 119th Congress are four-year college graduates. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Mia: What is the average age of the newly elected House members of the 119th Congress? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reporter's Notebook: Power player on Capitol Hill
Whether or not congressional Republicans are able to pass President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" of tax and spending cuts may hinge on one person. Not a swing vote. Not someone like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., or Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who occasionally bucks their party. But someone you've probably never heard of. After all, Washington is stocked with power players. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. But how about Elizabeth MacDonough? House Freedom Caucus Chair Urges Johnson To Change Course On Senate Version Of Trump Budget Bill I ventured outside the Capitol onto the plaza near the Library of Congress to see if any of the tourists visiting Washington for the spring cherry blossoms had heard of Elizabeth MacDonough. There I came across Billy Coman from Dublin, Ireland, visiting Washington for the first time. "Here's a name that sounds kind of Irish," I said to Coman. "Who is Elizabeth MacDonough?" Read On The Fox News App Coman pondered the question for a moment. "Elizabeth MacDonough," Coman said with an Irish lilt. "Is that the comedian?" I asked a woman named Shirley from Anchorage, Alaska, if she knew the name. Trump Tax Cuts 'Top Priority' For Congress Says Top House Gop Leader "Oh s---. I don't know," she replied. I posed the same question to Julia Lowe from Washington state. "Have you ever heard the name Elizabeth MacDonough?" I asked. "It sounds familiar to me," answered Lowe. "Do you know who she is?" I countered. "A historical figure possibly or someone currently in government?" responded Lowe. Well, Elizabeth MacDonough is in fact in government. And when it comes to Congress, she's one of the most powerful people you've never heard of. MacDonough is the Senate parliamentarian. A sort of referee who decides what's allowed in the big, beautiful bill pushed by President Trump — based on special Senate budget rules. "The parliamentarian is pretty important," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. "But parliamentarians don't have the last word to say about (the bill). The Senate governs the Senate. Not the parliamentarian." That's why Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., forged ahead on the Senate's latest framework for the tax cut package. Graham felt he didn't need to make his case before MacDonough for this phase. "As Budget Chairman, under Section 312 of the Congressional Budget Act, I have the authority to determine baseline numbers for spending and revenue," said Graham. "Under that authority, I have determined that current policy will be the budget baseline regarding taxation." In other words, Graham felt he didn't need MacDonough to tell him the "baseline" to determine whether this package comports with special budgetary provisions in the Senate. But the next step in passing the tax cut bill could be trickier. Everyone will watch what MacDonough rules is in or out. In fact, her calls could alter the trajectory of the president's "big, beautiful bill." "We are in conversations, as you know, with the parliamentarian about the best way to get budget reconciliation we're trying to help across the finish line," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Otherwise, the bill could face a Senate filibuster and likely die. So there's an advantage for Senate Republicans to handle their framework within the parameters of the unique budget rules — lest they run afoul of an adverse ruling from the parliamentarian. In fact, consulting with the parliamentarian mirrors football. Case in point, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. Tuberville was the head football coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati before coming to Capitol Hill. "You've worked the refs before, and I've seen people work the parliamentarian," said yours truly to Tuberville. "We've had to work the parliamentarian since I've been here," replied Tuberville. "Sometimes you might get a surprise. But you've got to have a referee in the game. You can't just freelance." House conservatives are aiming to implement especially steep spending cuts in the tax cut package. But those special Senate budget rules make it hard for GOP senators to go as deep as the House would like. Some on the right are mystified about the role of the Senate parliamentarian. "It is an unusual thing that one unelected official has so much authority," said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. House members struggle to understand the purpose and power of the Senate parliamentarian. Some of that stems from the customary rivalry and suspicion between the House and Senate, which dates back nearly to the beginning of the republic. "The parliamentarian. Who is she? Who elected her? I don't know," mused House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Tex. "Where is it in the Constitution?" Well, Article I, Section 5 to be precise. That provision grants the House and Senate the right to create their own rules and standards of operation. The parliamentarian plays a key role in the budget reconciliation process — the mechanism Republicans are using to advance their tax cut and spending reduction bill. The Senate stuck around into the wee hours of Saturday morning, approving the latest budget framework crafted by Graham for the legislation. It's now onto the House. House GOP leaders would like to tackle the bill Wednesday. But they're starting midway through the week on the bill in case there are hiccups. Or worse. More than a handful of House Republicans say they oppose the Senate's latest framework. The House and Senate must approve the same blueprint in order to actually do the bill itself. That's key because the Senate needs a unified framework in place to use the budget reconciliation process to avoid a filibuster. And MacDonough's rulings on whether various provisions fit into this bill — in compliance with the Budget Act — could have sway. Budget rules do not allow the legislation to add to the deficit over a 10-year window. Tariffs are not in the bill. But Democrats claim tariffs and tax cuts are linked. "They're using tariff revenue to balance out the money that they're going to shovel to a bunch of billionaires," claimed Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, of the tax cuts. The Trump administration asserts that the tax cuts will ease tariff anxiety, which has rattled the markets in recent days. Johnson Faces Uphill Battle Keeping Gop Divisions From Derailing Trump Budget Bill "The sooner we can get certainty on tax, the sooner we can set the stage for the growth to resume," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to colleague Bret Baier at the White House last week. Regardless, the House may struggle to align with the new Senate package. And it's likely the House must adjust to whatever the Senate requires in order to comply with the parliamentarian. There are a lot of players whom you will hear about in the next months as Republicans try to finish the bill. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex. All are key players as Republicans continue on this trek. It is often said in officiating that good referees are invisible. The ones you don't notice. But with so much at stake, it will be hard for Republicans to avoid noticing the calls by the article source: Reporter's Notebook: Power player on Capitol Hill
