Senate parliamentarian rejects GOP attempt to authorize states to conduct immigration enforcement

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

06/23/25 8:20 AM ET


The Senate parliamentarian has rejected several more provisions in the Republican megabill to enact President Trump’s agenda, including language authorizing states to conduct border security and immigration enforcement, which traditionally have been duties of the federal government.

Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough also ruled against language in the bill that would increase the Federal Employees Retirement Systems contribution rate for new civil servants if they do not agree to give up civil service protections to become at-will employees.

Additionally, the parliamentarian advised against a section of the bill that would allow the executive branch to reorganize federal government agencies — or eliminate whole agencies — without congressional oversight. The parliamentarian ruled these provisions violate the Byrd Rule and are not eligible to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote on the procedural fast track known as budget reconciliation.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, hailed the parliamentarian’s rulings. “There is no better way to define this Big Beautiful Betrayal of a bill than families lose, and billionaires win. Democrats are on the side of families and workers and are scrutinizing this bill piece by piece to ensure Republicans can’t use the reconciliation process to force their anti-worker policies on the American people,” Merkley said in a statement.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5363923-senate-parliamentarian-rejects-trump-provisions/

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Link to Senator Merkley (Senate Budget Committee (D) Ranking Member) PRESS RELEASE - “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Has More Provisions That Violate the Byrd Rule, According to Senate Parliamentarian


TALLY OF ITEMS STRIPPED BY PARLIAMENTARIAN SO FAR (plus the OP)

(Agriculture Committee) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143482891
(Banking, Environmental, Armed Services Committees) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143482360
(Judiciary Committee) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143483730
(Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143484256

[Srkdqltr]

1. Will trump be getting rid of the parliamentarian soon?

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. Trump has no authority to fire the parliamentarian

That is strictly an internal senate matter.

Thune has said he will not seek a vote to override the parliamentarian’s rulings.

This may be the escape hatch some republicans have been wishing for.

[Srkdqltr]

6. When has that ever stopped them? Him?

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. What if he tried to fire the entire senate? Would that work?

Don’t buy into the myth that Trump is omnipotent, and the states, congress and the people are powerless.

[Srkdqltr]

9. He may try. Wouldn't that be fun to watch? Actually no, we dont need that.

[ananda]

5. Wow, I have the same question.

Somebody is doing their job, and Trump won't like it.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. She works for a different Branch - the Legislative (Senate)

But I wouldn't be surprised if 45 pressures the GOP loons to get rid of her. They GOP Congress is already attempting to defund the other watchdogs under their purview (e.g., GAO).

[cstanleytech]

2. It's a Big Pile Of Shit Bill.

[Miguelito Loveless]

4. They will overrule the parliamentarian

then fire them, and replace them with a mental case with no experience.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Overlapping problems create uncertainty over the future of the Republican megabill

Donald Trump has said the GOP is united behind the inaptly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The truth for Republicans isn't nearly that simple.

Overlapping problems create uncertainty over the future of the Republican megabill www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo... via @msnbc

— Slapshot1955 (@slapshot19551.bsky.social) 2025-06-26T20:41:04.730Z

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/overlapping-problems-create-uncertainty-future-republican-megabill-rcna214977

As things stand, Republicans are basically confronting five problems:

1. GOP numbers aren’t adding up: The Congressional Budget Office concluded last week that the House version of the package would add $3.4 trillion to the national debt, and this week, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation found that proposed Senate changes would add an additional $400 billion to the price tag.

2. The Byrd bath: Because Republicans are relying on the budget reconciliation process, which prevents Democrats from derailing the bill with a filibuster, GOP lawmakers are having to subject the legislation to a complex process — which includes having the Senate parliamentarian remove provisions that run afoul of certain budgetary rules. This process is known as the “Byrd bath,” named after the late Democratic Sen. Bob Byrd of West Virginia.

In recent days, several key measures have already been stricken from the bill, including elements the party was counting on to help GOP numbers add up. This has caused a behind-the-scenes scramble that has not yet been resolved.

On Thursday, the developments for the party managed to get even worse. NBC News reported, "Republicans suffered a blow Thursday after the Senate referee ruled that a series of health care cuts and savings in their sweeping domestic policy bill are ineligible for the party-line path they're using to get around the chamber's 60-vote threshold."

The result leaves GOP leaders with limited choices: They can (a) look for other solutions; (b) try to tweak the legislation and ask the parliamentarian to take another look; or (c) vote to override the parliamentarian, which would be a radical and dramatic move that would risk altering how the institution functions going forward.

3. Far-right House Republicans think the Senate’s approach isn’t conservative enough: As The New York Times reported, “Some conservatives in the House only grudgingly voted for the legislation the first time, arguing that it did not go far enough in cutting spending, including on Medicaid. They agreed to support the package only after securing what they characterized as commitments from their Senate colleagues to enact deeper cuts and fix the measure. Now, those House Republicans regard the bill taking shape in the Senate, which party leaders hope to push through within days, as even worse.”

4. House Republicans from competitive districts think the Senate’s approach is too conservative: As NBC News reported, “On Tuesday, 16 House Republicans — almost all representing competitive districts — sent a letter rebelling against the Senate’s Medicaid cuts. They fretted that those policies would ‘place additional burdens on hospitals,’ among other things.”

5. The entire effort is unpopular. I mean, really unpopular. Republican officials have been working on this for roughly eight months, and talking up how great their plan is, but at least for now, the American mainstream isn't buying what the GOP is selling, which puts added pressure on members worried about their re-election prospects.

Given the scope of the intraparty disagreements, it’s not yet clear how, when or whether Republicans will work out their differences, and given the narrow margins in both chambers, the margin of error for party leaders is small. That said, if recent history is any guide, most, if not all, of the GOP members expressing skepticism about the legislation can be expected to cave after a couple of angry phone calls and tweets from the president.

We are headed to a debt ceiling issue soon which is why trump wants this bill done by July 4. I doubt that this will happen and we may see an emergency extension of the debt ceiling.

[republianmushroom]

11. Tuberville go pound some sand.