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Who is the Senate Parliamentarian posing roadblocks to Trump's bill?

The Senate Parliamentarian is facing backlash for recommending that Republicans slash key parts of President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

Who is the Senate Parliamentarian posing roadblocks to Trump's bill?

The Senate Parliamentarian is facing backlash for recommending that Republicans slash key parts of President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

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Updated: 4:19 PM CDT Jun 27, 2025
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Who is the Senate Parliamentarian posing roadblocks to Trump's bill?

The Senate Parliamentarian is facing backlash for recommending that Republicans slash key parts of President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

Washington News Bureau logo
Updated: 4:19 PM CDT Jun 27, 2025
Editorial Standards 鈸�
A normally low-key Senate advisor is getting a lot of attention this week.See the story in the video aboveSenate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough is facing backlash after recommending that Republicans slash key parts of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill." A handful of GOP lawmakers are even calling for her to be fired. The Senate parliamentarian provides nonpartisan advice on the chamber's procedural rules and often plays a pivotal role in the legislative process. MacDonough has served in the role since 2012 under leadership from both parties. During that time, she has scrapped both Democratic and Republican proposals during a process called budget reconciliation.Budget reconciliation is a maneuver lawmakers often use to try to pass bills along party lines with a simple majority, rather than the 60-vote threshold typically required in the Senate.But that process comes with a catch. The proposals have to be primarily related to spending and taxes. If policies don't pass that test, the parliamentarian recommends striking them from the bill. The parliamentarian offers advice, but it's non-binding. Senators can challenge procedural decisions on a bill and put the dispute up for a vote in the chamber, according to Michael Thorning, the director of structural democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.Still, Thorning says lawmakers have been hesitant to ignore the parliamentarian's advice in the past. "The Senate's rules and precedents really are guardrails, and what they do is keep the Senate from going too far in either direction, and members want to maintain that," Thorning said. "They want the process to be fair when it gets to be their time in the minority."

A normally low-key Senate advisor is getting a lot of attention this week.

See the story in the video above

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Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough is facing backlash after recommending that Republicans slash key parts of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill." A handful of GOP lawmakers are even calling for her to be fired.

The Senate parliamentarian provides nonpartisan advice on the chamber's procedural rules and often plays a pivotal role in the legislative process.

MacDonough has served in the role since 2012 under leadership from both parties. During that time, she has scrapped both Democratic and Republican proposals during a process called budget reconciliation.

Budget reconciliation is a maneuver lawmakers often use to try to pass bills along party lines with a simple majority, rather than the 60-vote threshold typically required in the Senate.

But that process comes with a catch. The proposals have to be primarily related to spending and taxes. If policies don't pass that test, the parliamentarian recommends striking them from the bill.

The parliamentarian offers advice, but it's non-binding. Senators can challenge procedural decisions on a bill and put the dispute up for a vote in the chamber, according to Michael Thorning, the director of structural democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Still, Thorning says lawmakers have been hesitant to ignore the parliamentarian's advice in the past.

"The Senate's rules and precedents really are guardrails, and what they do is keep the Senate from going too far in either direction, and members want to maintain that," Thorning said. "They want the process to be fair when it gets to be their time in the minority."