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CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Meet the U.S. official tying Republicans in knots over their tax bill
U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., centre left, speaks to reporters along with members of the Republican leadership, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON — A few Republicans reacted with indignation Thursday after the U.S. Senate parliamentarian advised that some of the measures in their tax and immigration bill could not be included in the legislation. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., tweeted on X that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough should be fired, 'ASAP.' Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., intimated that she was partisan, asking why an 'unelected swamp bureaucrat, who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago' gets to decide what's in the bill?' It's hardly the first time the parliamentarian's normally low-key and lawyerly role has drawn a blast of public criticism. MacDonough also dashed Democratic plans over the years, advising in 2021 that they couldn't include a minimum wage increase in their COVID-19 relief bill. Later that same year, she advised that Democrats needed to drop an effort to let millions of immigrants remain temporarily in the U.S. as part of their big climate bill. But the attention falling on MacDonough's rulings in recent years also reflects a broader change in Congress, with lawmakers increasingly trying to wedge their top policy priorities into bills that can't be filibustered in the Senate. The process comes with special rules designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes — and that's where the parliamentarian comes in, offering analysis of what does and doesn't qualify. Elizabeth MacDonough U.S. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough is seen in the House chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Her latest round of decisions Thursday was a blow to the GOP's efforts to wring hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid over the next decade. Senate Republicans could opt to try to override her recommendations, but they are unlikely to do so. Here's a closer look at what the Senate parliamentarian does and why lawmakers are so focused on her recommendations right now. The crucial role of the parliamentarian Both the House and Senate have a parliamentarian to provide assistance on that chamber's rules and precedents. They are often seen advising whoever is presiding over the chamber on the proper procedures to be followed and the appropriate responses to a parliamentary inquiry. They are also charged with providing information to lawmakers and their respective staff on a strictly nonpartisan and confidential basis. The parliamentarians and their staff only offer advice. Their recommendations are not binding. In the case of the massive tax and spending bill now before both chambers, the parliamentarian plays a critical role in advising whether the reconciliation bill's provisions remain focused on fiscal issues. How MacDonough became the first woman in the job MacDonough, an English literature major, is the Senate's first woman to be parliamentarian and just the sixth person to hold the position since its creation in 1935. She began her Senate career in its library before leaving to get a law degree at Vermont Law School. She worked briefly as a Justice Department trial attorney before returning to the Senate in 1999, this time as an assistant in the parliamentarian's office. She was initially appointed parliamentarian in 2012 by Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate majority leader at the time. She was retained by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., when he became majority leader in 2015. She helped Chief Justice John Roberts preside over Trump's 2020 Senate impeachment trial and was beside then-Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., for Trump's second trial the following year. Trump was acquitted both times. When Trump supporters fought past police and into the Capitol in hopes of disrupting Congress' certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, MacDonough and other staffers rescued those ballots and hustled mahogany boxes containing them to safety. MacDonough's office, on the Capitol's first floor, was ransacked and declared a crime scene. Can the Senate ignore the parliamentarian's advice? Yes. The parliamentarian makes the recommendation, but it's the presiding officer overseeing Senate proceedings who rules on provisions in the bill. If there is a dispute, it would be put to a vote. Michael Thorning, director of structural democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, said he doubts Republicans will want to go that route. And indeed, some Republican senators said as much Thursday. 'It's the institutional integrity, even if I'm convinced 100% she's wrong,' said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Thorning said lawmakers from both parties view MacDonough as 'very much an honest broker.' 'And the Senate relies on her,' Thorning said. 'Sometimes, those decisions cut your way, and sometimes, they don't. I also think members recognize that once you start treating the parliamentarian's advice as just something that could be easily dismissed, then the rules start to matter less.' Have parliamentarians been fired? Majority leaders from both parties have replaced the parliamentarian. For more than three decades, the position alternated between Robert Dove and Alan Frumin depending upon which party was in the majority. Thorning said the two parliamentarians weren't far apart though, in how they interpreted the Senate's rules and precedents. MacDonough succeeded Frumin as parliamentarian. He said the small number of calls Thursday for her dismissal 'tells you all people need to know about the current parliamentarian.' 'Senators know this isn't somebody playing politics,' Thorning said. Kevin Freking, The Associated Press
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Meet the Senate Parliamentarian, the Official Tying Republicans in Knots Over Their Tax Bill
Some Republicans expressed indignation Thursday after the Senate parliamentarian advised that some measures in their tax and immigration bill could not be included in the legislation. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., tweeted on X that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough should be fired 'ASAP.' Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., intimated that she was partisan, asking, 'Why does an unelected swamp bureaucrat who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago get to decide what's in the bill?' It's hardly the first time the parliamentarian's normally low-key and lawyerly role has drawn public criticism. MacDonough also dashed Democratic plans over the years, advising in 2021 that they couldn't include a minimum wage increase in their COVID-19 relief bill. Later that same year, she advised that Democrats needed to drop an effort to let millions of immigrants remain temporarily in the US as part of their big climate bill. But the attention falling on MacDonough's rulings in recent years also reflects a broader change in Congress, with lawmakers increasingly trying to wedge their top policy priorities into bills that can't be filibustered in the Senate. The process comes with special rules designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes–and that's where the parliamentarian comes in, offering analysis of what does and doesn't qualify. Her latest round of decisions Thursday was a blow to the GOP's efforts to wring hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid over the next decade. Senate Republicans could opt to try to override her recommendations, but they are unlikely to do so. Here's a closer look at what the Senate parliamentarian does and why lawmakers are so focused on her recommendations right now. The crucial role of the parliamentarian Both the House and Senate have a parliamentarian to provide assistance on that chamber's rules and precedents. They are often seen advising whoever is presiding over the chamber on the proper procedures to be followed and the appropriate responses to a parliamentary inquiry. They are also charged with providing information to lawmakers and their respective staff on a strictly nonpartisan and confidential basis. The parliamentarians and their staff only offer advice. Their recommendations are not binding. In the case of the massive tax and spending bill now before both chambers, the parliamentarian plays a critical role in advising whether the reconciliation bill's provisions remain focused on fiscal issues. How MacDonough became the first woman in the job MacDonough, an English literature major, is the Senate's first woman to be parliamentarian and just the sixth person to hold the position since its creation in 1935. She began her Senate career in its library before leaving to get a law degree at Vermont Law School. She worked briefly as a Justice Department trial attorney before returning to the Senate in 1999, this time as an assistant in the parliamentarian's office. She was initially appointed parliamentarian in 2012 by Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate majority leader at the time. She was retained by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., when he became majority leader in 2015. She helped Chief Justice John Roberts preside over Trump's 2020 Senate impeachment trial and was beside then-Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., for Trump's second trial the following year. Trump was acquitted both times. When Trump supporters fought past police and into the Capitol in hopes of disrupting Congress' certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, MacDonough and other staffers rescued those ballots and hustled mahogany boxes containing them to safety. MacDonough's office on the Capitol's first floor was ransacked and declared a crime scene. Can the Senate ignore the parliamentarian's advice? Yes. The parliamentarian makes the recommendation, but it's the presiding officer overseeing Senate proceedings who rules on provisions in the bill. If there is a dispute, it would be put to a vote. Michael Thorning, director of structural democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, said he doubts Republicans will want to go that route. And indeed some Republican senators said as much Thursday. 'It's the institutional integrity, even if I'm convinced one hundred percent she's wrong,' said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Thorning said lawmakers from both parties view MacDonough as very much an honest broker. 'And the Senate relies on her,' Thorning said. 'Sometimes those decisions cut your way and sometimes they don't. I also think members recognize that once you start treating the parliamentarian's advice as just something that could be easily dismissed, then the rules start to matter less.' Have parliamentarians been fired? Majority leaders from both parties have replaced the parliamentarian. For more than three decades the position alternated between Robert Dove and Alan Frumin depending upon which party was in the majority. Thorning said the two parliamentarians weren't far apart, though, in how they interpreted the Senate's rules and precedents. MacDonough succeeded Frumin as parliamentarian. He said the small number of calls Thursday for her dismissal tells you all people need to know about the current parliamentarian. 'Senators know this isn't somebody playing politics,' Thorning said.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Meet the Senate parliamentarian, the official tying Republicans in knots over their tax bill
WASHINGTON — A few Republicans reacted with indignation Thursday after the Senate parliamentarian advised that some of the measures in their tax and immigration bill could not be included in the legislation. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., tweeted on X that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough should be fired, 'ASAP.' Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., intimated that she was partisan, asking why an 'unelected swamp bureaucrat, who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago' gets to decide what's in the bill?'
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Meet the Senate parliamentarian, the official tying Republicans in knots over their tax bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — A few Republicans reacted with indignation Thursday after the Senate parliamentarian advised that some of the measures in their tax and immigration bill could not be included in the legislation. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., tweeted on X that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough should be fired, 'ASAP.' Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., intimated that she was partisan, asking why an 'unelected swamp bureaucrat, who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago' gets to decide what's in the bill?' It's hardly the first time the parliamentarian's normally low-key and lawyerly role has drawn a blast of public criticism. MacDonough also dashed Democratic plans over the years, advising in 2021 that they couldn't include a minimum wage increase in their COVID-19 relief bill. Later that same year, she advised that Democrats needed to drop an effort to let millions of immigrants remain temporarily in the U.S. as part of their big climate bill. But the attention falling on MacDonough's rulings in recent years also reflects a broader change in Congress, with lawmakers increasingly trying to wedge their top policy priorities into bills that can't be filibustered in the Senate. The process comes with special rules designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes — and that's where the parliamentarian comes in, offering analysis of what does and doesn't qualify. Her latest round of decisions Thursday was a blow to the GOP's efforts to wring hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid over the next decade. Senate Republicans could opt to try to override her recommendations, but they are unlikely to do so. Here's a closer look at what the Senate parliamentarian does and why lawmakers are so focused on her recommendations right now. The crucial role of the parliamentarian Both the House and Senate have a parliamentarian to provide assistance on that chamber's rules and precedents. They are often seen advising whoever is presiding over the chamber on the proper procedures to be followed and the appropriate responses to a parliamentary inquiry. They are also charged with providing information to lawmakers and their respective staff on a strictly nonpartisan and confidential basis. The parliamentarians and their staff only offer advice. Their recommendations are not binding. In the case of the massive tax and spending bill now before both chambers, the parliamentarian plays a critical role in advising whether the reconciliation bill's provisions remain focused on fiscal issues. How MacDonough became the first woman in the job MacDonough, an English literature major, is the Senate's first woman to be parliamentarian and just the sixth person to hold the position since its creation in 1935. She began her Senate career in its library before leaving to get a law degree at Vermont Law School. She worked briefly as a Justice Department trial attorney before returning to the Senate in 1999, this time as an assistant in the parliamentarian's office. She was initially appointed parliamentarian in 2012 by Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate majority leader at the time. She was retained by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., when he became majority leader in 2015. She helped Chief Justice John Roberts preside over Trump's 2020 Senate impeachment trial and was beside then-Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., for Trump's second trial the following year. Trump was acquitted both times. When Trump supporters fought past police and into the Capitol in hopes of disrupting Congress' certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, MacDonough and other staffers rescued those ballots and hustled mahogany boxes containing them to safety. MacDonough's office, on the Capitol's first floor, was ransacked and declared a crime scene. Can the Senate ignore the parliamentarian's advice? Yes. The parliamentarian makes the recommendation, but it's the presiding officer overseeing Senate proceedings who rules on provisions in the bill. If there is a dispute, it would be put to a vote. Michael Thorning, director of structural democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, said he doubts Republicans will want to go that route. And indeed, some Republican senators said as much Thursday. 'It's the institutional integrity, even if I'm convinced 100% she's wrong,' said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Thorning said lawmakers from both parties view MacDonough as 'very much an honest broker.' 'And the Senate relies on her,' Thorning said. 'Sometimes, those decisions cut your way, and sometimes, they don't. I also think members recognize that once you start treating the parliamentarian's advice as just something that could be easily dismissed, then the rules start to matter less.' Have parliamentarians been fired? Majority leaders from both parties have replaced the parliamentarian. For more than three decades, the position alternated between Robert Dove and Alan Frumin depending upon which party was in the majority. Thorning said the two parliamentarians weren't far apart though, in how they interpreted the Senate's rules and precedents. MacDonough succeeded Frumin as parliamentarian. He said the small number of calls Thursday for her dismissal 'tells you all people need to know about the current parliamentarian.' 'Senators know this isn't somebody playing politics,' Thorning said.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Fury erupts as unelected Senate 'scorekeeper' blocks Trump's agenda
Conservative lawmakers were infuriated on Thursday morning after the Senate's de facto "scorekeeper" for President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" ruled that key parts of the GOP agenda bill must be stripped out. "The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people. Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters," Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., wrote on X. "It is time for our elected leaders to take back control." He called on Vice President JD Vance to "overrule the Parliamentarian and let the will of the people, not some staffer hiding behind Senate procedure, determine the future of this country." The Constitution names the vice president as president of the Senate as well, though it is a largely ceremonial role save for when they are needed to cast a tie-breaking vote in the chamber. The Senate parliamentarian is typically appointed by the Senate majority leader and serves at their pleasure, with no term limit. Their role is to make apolitical judgments about Senate rules and procedure. In the budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are working through now, the parliamentarian's job is to rule on whether aspects of the bill fall within the necessary guidelines to qualify for reconciliation's simple majority passage threshold. However, with several rulings that found key portions of Trump's agenda do not fall into reconciliation's budgetary guidelines, Republicans on the other side of Capitol Hill – in the House of Representatives – are urging the Senate to break norms and disregard several of the parliamentarian's decisions. "They ought to heed the advice of the president – don't change the bill," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital earlier this week. Meanwhile, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., even called for the parliamentarian to be fired. "The Senate Parliamentarian also ruled that ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS are eligible for federal student loans. Does she not realize that our student loan crisis is already out of control??? ZERO taxpayer dollars should go towards student loans for ILLEGALS," he wrote on X. "THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP." Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., wrote on X on Wednesday evening, "Respecting the rules matters, but so does respecting the voters. They didn't give an unelected staffer the power to decide what is in the budget—that's the job of Congress." "It doesn't have to be this way. The Republicans senators are not required to adhere to anything she says," Van Drew said. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, said on the platform, "The rogue Senate Parliamentarian should be overruled, just like activist judges." Despite calls from irate House Republicans and some senators, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has stood firm in his position that he would not seek to overrule the parliamentarian. Senate Democrats vowed to inflict as much pain as possible through the process known as the "Byrd Bath," which tests if each provision, line-by-line, is compliant with the Byrd Rule that governs the budget reconciliation process. So far, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has ruled several key provisions, including oil and gas leasing, public land sales, changes to the cost-sharing formula for food benefits, among others, as being out of compliance with the Byrd Rule. However, it was a slew of rulings unveiled Thursday morning the gutted numerous changes Senate Republicans made to the widely-used Medicaid program that triggered conservatives. Among the axed provisions was the Senate GOP's harsher crackdown on the Medicaid provider rate, or the amount that state Medicaid programs pay to providers on behalf of Medicaid beneficiaries, which proved even a divisive policy among some in the conference. Other provisions that were nixed included denying states Medicaid funding for having illegal immigrants on the benefit rolls, preventing illegal immigrants from participating in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and preventing Medicaid and CHIP funding from going toward gender-affirming care. Republicans viewed those as key cost-saving changes, and their removal has likely set back their plan to put the mammoth bill on Trump's desk by July 4.
