Senate Democrats are taking a “victory lap” after their GOP colleagues are facing major new issues with their so-called “one, big, beautiful, bill,” according to a Politico report.
Citing an internal memo, the Senate's parliamentarian advised that some of the GOP budget cuts wouldn’t be able to pass along party lines.
The Senate parliamentarian is Elizabeth MacDonough. Her job is to interpret the rules for the Senate. MacDonough has held this role since 2012.
She raised a flag to some of the changes the GOP proposed, including “hold down Medicaid costs by cracking down on a state provider tax,” Politico said.
“The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people,” Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) posted on X. “Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters.”
The GOP now has to “rewrite major sections of their Finance bill or potentially leave out key policies,” the outlet said.
“Democrats fought and won, striking healthcare cuts from this bill that would hurt Americans walking on an economic tightrope,” said Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) in a statement to Politico.
The outlet said, “The ruling comes at a critical time for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders, who are already facing a revolt inside their conference from members wary of the practical and political impacts of the Medicaid changes.:
Politico later added, “Democrats took a victory lap after the ruling,” because it created a $250 billion hole in the GOP’s proposed savings.
Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was planning on holding the first vote for the bill on Friday. But even with the setback, one unnamed politico source said the parliamentarian’s decision is “not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be” and that “Friday still not off the table.”