Senate Parliamentarian Rules in Favor of Democratic Reconciliation Effort
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON—The Senate's nonpartisan parliamentarian Monday ruled in favor of a Democratic effort to pass additional legislation through a process called reconciliation, according to a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), opening the door for Democrats to approve more fiscal measures along party lines in the Senate this year.
Democrats have used reconciliation once this year to pass the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, and lawmakers had expected to be limited to using it only one more time this year. With the parliamentarian's new advice to lawmakers, Democrats could now possibly use it a third time to skirt the 60-vote threshold necessary for most legislation to pass in the Senate.
"This confirms the leader's interpretation of the Budget Act and allows Democrats additional tools to improve the lives of Americans if Republican obstruction continues," the spokesman for Mr. Schumer said.
The spokesman said Mr. Schumer hasn't decided whether to move forward with using reconciliation again and that "some parameters still need to be worked out" around its use.
The ruling will give Democrats more room to maneuver to pass President Biden's agenda, including his recently announced $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. The White House is expected to roll out another large package in the coming weeks, this time focused on child-care and antipoverty efforts.
A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Republicans have widely criticized the $2.3 trillion plan, attacking its wide scope and proposed tax increases on corporations. The hardening GOP opposition had left Democrats already preparing to use reconciliation to pass the infrastructure plan, possibly combining it with the coming antipoverty legislation to muscle a huge package through Congress along party lines.
Under the reconciliation process, lawmakers pass a budget resolution that then provides committees with instructions to craft legislation meeting the budget’s target. Because budget resolutions are tied to the fiscal year, lawmakers had been limited to using reconciliation once per fiscal year.
But the parliamentarian advised lawmakers that they can edit the underlying budget resolution, giving committees additional instructions for meeting the new target. It is unclear if there will be a limit on the number of times lawmakers can edit a budget resolution each fiscal year.
For the $1.9 trillion relief plan, Democrats approved reconciliation legislation tied to the budget for fiscal year 2021, which ends Sept. 30. Instead of turning to the fiscal year 2022 budget for the next bill, they could now likely pass at least one other piece of legislation tied to a revised budget for fiscal year 2021.
While reconciliation enables lawmakers to avoid the filibuster in the Senate and pass legislation along party lines, it limits what measures lawmakers can approve. Provisions passed through reconciliation must relate directly to the budget, barring many policy plans from consideration. Spending and tax measures are generally eligible to be included in reconciliation.
Earlier this year, Democrats had sought to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour as part of the $1.9 trillion relief package. The parliamentarian ultimately ruled that raising the minimum wage had a budgetary impact only incidental to its policy aim, forcing lawmakers to cut the provision from the final bill . Some Democrats had pushed for leadership to ignore the parliamentarian’s ruling, while other Democrats had said they opposed raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Some elements of Mr. Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal may face a similar fate, according to lawmakers and aides, including some of its proposed labor protections.
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"But the parliamentarian advised lawmakers that they can edit the underlying budget resolution, giving committees additional instructions for meeting the new target. It is unclear if there will be a limit on the number of times lawmakers can edit a budget resolution each fiscal year."
It is unclear if there will be a limit on the number of times it can be used in a fiscal year? This process was first used under Jimmy Carter's presidency and in all this time has only been successfully used once during a fiscal year. Schumer is about to use it twice. All that talk about how tough it would be for democrats having very narrow majorities was nonsense. They have a split Senate at 50-50, with the VP as tie-breaker and as long as they continue to vote in lock step they might just as well have a 90-1 majority.
The size of these bills is another issue. Once upon a time liberal tried to pass radical legislation in increments. Now the modern progressive bulldozes massive bills across the finish line that would have repercussions for generations. It's as if they expect to lose control of congress in 2022 and are determined to do it all in 2 years.
Trump and his supporters are off topic
Brian Kemp is off topic.
I am off topic.
Hey Vic, what do you suppose the previous potUS and the Republicans would do, say, if in this situation...?
I think you are going to find out the next time Republicans control the White House, House, and Senate.
Careful what you wish for; you might just get it.
You know damn well they would push through whatever they could. About time the Dems plaid by the same rules !
They're way smarter than the Democrats, who are desperately seeking immediate gratification without regard to future negative consequences.
The Republicans will win back the House and Senate next year...and the WH in '24
Right, like the Democrats never pull this shit first.
Just like relaxing the voting rules to ram through Obama's judicial nominees. Only to cry when they were out of power in the Senate and Trump was in charge and and Republicans used the very same rules.
Democrats are exceedingly stupid. They seem the think the rules they change or break now will suddenly snap back into place once they are out of power.
With this current herd of mighty mental midget Democrats I hope you are right.
Sucks having to support the lesser of two evils; but the Democrats aren't leaving me a choice.
Lol oh we all already know, and I hope the dems so the same thing.
They are not going to get GOP support no matter what the legislation has or doesn’t have. Period.
I may be dumb for saying this, but it looks like the Dems won’t fall for the ACA negotiations bullshit again.
I read an article that most of the things in the bill, the republicans endorsed at one time or another.
Now they will all the sudden be against the things they once supported just because they cannot 'let the Dems have a win'.
All that is cared about is the next election.
For instance?
A good deal of that bill has to do with electric cars. Have you read it? Or is this another one that needs to be passed before it's read?
The whole concept was brought about by a Republican think tank, if my memory serves me correct. And yes, the Dems made concession after concession to try and get the Republicans on board, and not a one voted in favor of it. Then, they've tried to repeal it as soon as 45 took office. Fck that, and Fck the Repubs in the House and Senate, cause you know damn well they wouldn't blink an eye if the shoe was on the other foot, as they clearly showed previous, and say with the selections and voting upon of Supreme Court Justices. What did Obama have left, 9 months or so, and they refused to bring him up for a vote, while 45 had what, 6 weeks and they shoved his selection through ! So treat them in kind, cause we've seen how well they work across the aisle, all the while, setting new lower standards whilst swimming in De Nile shedding Crocodile tears from teeth, torn like beef, from vegans after smoking reef firring to the height of hypocrisy, as they've lowered the Barr yet again, and again, bout time the Dems deemed when, they can stand NO more, as they hold the seats....
Why don't you ask ENDER, the one i was responding to ?
you r too obtuse to realize which direction my point isn't pointing, cause i've concrete evidence of my pointing, and it's obviously mortar than you R gonna comprend, comprenday and night shift automatically when it comes to manual labor day trading places with Peyton and Park, cause i'm grounded and bored walking around wandering and wondering about how being neutral about responding when driven to reverse others currently pushing buttons, as i'm not a digit who will fidget with a response, cause though i lack nuance l'm true and see
how i make sure you're schooled...cause you seem to be often tardy lately, but before, i go further, i B leavin cause the Ender to my means got it, and that's what I KNOW, Who Will? X plane as day to U, eye don't no, nor dare care there Kinder Hare Bear , just tryin 2 B fare, cause sum times, i'm Knot ////.....
Hopefully, Senator Joe Manchin will keep his word, and not allow the Democrats to destroy themselves by creating precedents that will come back to haunt them. They must be channeling Harry Reid...and forgot how that turned out
The infrastructure bill is almost as popular as the COVID stimulus bill was, supported by a majority of both Democratic and Republican voters. Why are you so upset that the Democratic lead government is actually trying to give the voters what they want?
I'll have to ask you again - were those polled asked about what was actually & specifically in those deceptively named bills?
Once again, all you have.
Because it is the Dems proposing it. Greg doesn’t actually give a shit if it is good for the country or its citizens, if his side didn’t propose/pass it it must be opposed.
This is what blind partisanship looks like.
It will be between democrats. Schumer is ready to push it through as another partisan bill. One that will be with us for decades.
The questions that never get answered? I guess that one is enough.
The dishonest questions that don't deserve to be answered.
The dishonesty is naming these bills things that they are mostly not.