— Rand Paul: Unelected Senate Parliamentarian Nixed Eliminating Welfare Benefits for Illegal Aliens

[mystery-ak]

— Rand Paul: Unelected Senate Parliamentarian Nixed Eliminating Welfare Benefits for Illegal Aliens in Big, Beautiful Bill

Hannah Knudsen 25 Jun 2025

The Senate parliamentarian has further reduced the scope of the budget reconciliation bill — otherwise known as the Big, Beautiful Bill — by ruling out the elimination of benefits for illegal aliens, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said during an interview on Breitbart News Daily.

“The Senate parliamentarian, you know, ruled out any kind of elimination of benefits for illegal aliens. So we have basically an unelected, you know, person works in the Senate has now decided that she can decide for the country that we can’t eliminate welfare for illegal aliens, which is, to me, insane that we allow that to happen,” Paul began, referencing the decision to rule out eliminating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for non-citizens.

“What did she say about health care for illegal aliens or welfare for illegal aliens?” host Mike Slater pressed.

Paul essentially explained that the effects of budget reconciliation must be more monetary than policy, but it is ultimately a judgment call on what goes under which category. But Paul contends that removing illegals from welfare benefits saves a lot of money.

“They say that when you do this budget reconciliation, the effect of the legislation has to be more monetary than policy, but it’s sort of a judgment call. So is it policy, that you don’t want illegal aliens to have welfare, or is that budgetary? Well, it saves a lot of money,” he explained. “They estimate, you know what, it’ll save hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe billions of dollars.”

“And that’s all the guesswork, you know, CBO and somebody else’s guesses what will happen if we do it. But then she has the unilateral, sole decision-making power to decide whether that’s policy or that’s budgetary,” he said of the Senate parliamentarian.

“We’re allowed to do budgetary things, but not policy things. So for example, one of the legislations that I’ve promoted for years is called the REINS Act, and it would say any regulation passed by bureaucrats, by the executive branch, if it’s a significant or major regulation — meaning that would impact the economy over $100 million — then what happens is it has to come back and be voted on by Congress,” he said.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/25/exclusive-rand-paul-unelected-senate-parliamentarian-nixed-eliminating-welfare-benefits-for-illegal-aliens-in-big-beautiful-bill/

[Bigun]

 

She can only nix what she is allowed to nix! They are playing us! AGAIN!

[DefiantMassRINO]

Rand,

Put a seperate bill on the floor of the US Senate, and have it put to a vote.

Not every law has to be part of the budget.

Congress can pass laws outside the budgeting process.

That's what they used to do in the olden days. 

Would that be so hard?

Man up, you tool.

[mystery-ak]

Senate Parliamentarian Blocks Major Medicaid Changes in Big Beautiful Bill

The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday advised that that the Senate version of the Medicaid provider tax, which could upend how the bill could offset the Trump tax cuts.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/26/senate-parliamentarian-blocks-medicaid-changes-in-big-beautiful-bill/

[Free Vulcan]

Rand,

Put a seperate bill on the floor of the US Senate, and have it put to a vote.

Not every law has to be part of the budget.

Congress can pass laws outside the budgeting process.

That's what they used to do in the olden days. 

Would that be so hard?

Man up, you tool.

While I think the parliamentarian is pulling a bunch of partisan crap, the net consequences are exactly what you say - get some stones and pass a bill for real, and completely circumvent her.

[Bigun]

While I think the parliamentarian is pulling a bunch of partisan crap, the net consequences are exactly what you say - get some stones and pass a bill for real, and completely circumvent her.

Or tell her to pack her $&*t and get out! Why the hell does a Republican senate still have a Democrat appointed parliamentarian?

[mystery-ak]

GOP senator calls for parliamentarian's firing after serving Medicaid blow to Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
Kansas senator cites 2001 precedent when Trent Lott fired parliamentarian during reconciliation process
By Alex Miller Fox News
Published June 26, 2025 11:20am EDT

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to see the Senate parliamentarian fired and plans to introduce a resolution that would require the position to be term-limited.

Fury erupted among conservatives Thursday morning following the news that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled several key reforms and tweaks to Medicaid in the Senate GOP’s version of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" did not pass muster with Senate rules.

That means that the current provisions that do not comply with the Byrd Rule must be stripped, but Republicans can still scramble to rewrite and resubmit the policy to the parliamentarian.

However, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., wants immediate action taken against the parliamentarian.

"In 2001, Majority Leader Trent Lott fired the Senate parliamentarian during reconciliation," Marshall told Fox News Digital. "It’s 2025 during reconciliation, and we need to again fire the Senate parliamentarian."

He argued that, based upon early reports, the parliamentarian's rulings against myriad provisions in the bill may erase up to $500 billion in spending cuts, which could hamper the bill's survival among fiscal hawks and miss the goal of hitting up to $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has made clear that he did not intend to overrule the parliamentarian. Fox News Digital reached out to the top Senate Republican for comment.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-senator-calls-parliamentarians-firing-after-serving-medicaid-blow-trumps-big-beautiful-bill

[corbe]

 

[catfish1957]

My take is that the sole purpose of the life of a Parlimentarian is to administer Robert's Rules of Order.

This is a dereliction of duty, and a motion needs to be  brought forward for replacement.  This is twice in a few weeks this POS has brought partisan bullshit to the table.

[Free Vulcan]

Or tell her to pack her $&*t and get out! Why the hell does a Republican senate still have a Democrat appointed parliamentarian?

Considering that I don't think the other will happen, I'd be down for that too.   

[rustynail]

' Thune, R-S.D., has made clear that he did not intend to overrule the parliamentarian.', there may be the problem.

[The_Reader_David]

While I think the parliamentarian is pulling a bunch of partisan crap, the net consequences are exactly what you say - get some stones and pass a bill for real, and completely circumvent her.

The point of having provisions in a budget bill is that budget bills cannot be "filibustered" (in the fake since there weren't 60 votes to cut off debate the measure is dead sense).  I think the Senate can overrule the parliamentarian on a simple majority vote (which should be a procedural matter -- I would hope that procedural matters cannot be filibustered either, but I don't know for sure that is the case).

[The_Reader_David]

My take is that the sole purpose of the life of a Parlimentarian is to administer Robert's Senate Rules of Order.

Although Robert's are the default rule of order for deliberative bodies in the Anglosphere, legislatures, including the US House and US Senate generally have their own rules of order that differ from the default.

[Free Vulcan]

The point of having provisions in a budget bill is that budget bills cannot be "filibustered" (in the fake since there weren't 60 votes to cut off debate the measure is dead sense).  I think the Senate can overrule the parliamentarian on a simple majority vote (which should be a procedural matter -- I would hope that procedural matters cannot be filibustered either, but I don't know for sure that is the case).

That would be nice too if it works out that way. I think the parliamentarian is playing fast and loose with the definitions with partisan motives behind it.

[Bigun]

That would be nice too if it works out that way. I think the parliamentarian is playing fast and loose with the definitions with partisan motives behind it.

  And if the Republicans in that body allow her to get away with it this republic is well and truly finished!

[Bigun]

 

[Sighlass]

:bookmark:

[jafo2010]

Many of you close your eyes to the truth, but the republic has been dead since 2020.  Completely!

And Congress with Republicans at the helm, now that is the challenge that will produce almost nothing.  So now it is the Parliamentarian preventing them from doing their damn job.  Tomorrow, it will be the weather.  It is too hot to work, or raining to much, or something.

I know, let's try and create a new holiday.  You boobs in Congress don't have any real work to do.  We need more holidays.  Soon, we will be like Puerto Rico, with their 27? holidays per year.  No mystery why capital never finds its way to that island!

Get ready for tax increases.  I think there are a number of Republicans that would be perfectly happy with tax increases, and I trust Sen Thune as far as I can throw that RINO!

[Bigun]

GOP senator calls for parliamentarian's firing after serving Medicaid blow to Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
Kansas senator cites 2001 precedent when Trent Lott fired parliamentarian during reconciliation process
By Alex Miller Fox News
Published June 26, 2025 11:20am EDT

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to see the Senate parliamentarian fired and plans to introduce a resolution that would require the position to be term-limited.

Fury erupted among conservatives Thursday morning following the news that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled several key reforms and tweaks to Medicaid in the Senate GOP’s version of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" did not pass muster with Senate rules.

That means that the current provisions that do not comply with the Byrd Rule must be stripped, but Republicans can still scramble to rewrite and resubmit the policy to the parliamentarian.

However, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., wants immediate action taken against the parliamentarian.

"In 2001, Majority Leader Trent Lott fired the Senate parliamentarian during reconciliation," Marshall told Fox News Digital. "It’s 2025 during reconciliation, and we need to again fire the Senate parliamentarian."

He argued that, based upon early reports, the parliamentarian's rulings against myriad provisions in the bill may erase up to $500 billion in spending cuts, which could hamper the bill's survival among fiscal hawks and miss the goal of hitting up to $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has made clear that he did not intend to overrule the parliamentarian. Fox News Digital reached out to the top Senate Republican for comment.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-senator-calls-parliamentarians-firing-after-serving-medicaid-blow-trumps-big-beautiful-bill

John Thune is a Mitch McConnell clone and so is John Cornyn.

[catfish1957]

Although Robert's are the default rule of order for deliberative bodies in the Anglosphere, legislatures, including the US House and US Senate generally have their own rules of order that differ from the default.

Thanks...  I didn't know.  Still does that difference mean that you can perform hack partisanship?

I Doubt it, and the fact the differences should be meaningless.

[corbe]

John Thune is a Mitch McConnell clone and so is John Cornyn.

   What's with that 'culture' @Bigun   
   As was Ryan, McCarthy, Johnson? so close to being a clone of Boehner, Thune seems to Mitch's step brother.

   Good Luck with it, Trump/MAGA inheriting that.

[mystery-ak]

John Thune Says He Will Not Overrule Parliamentarian Who Rejected Medicaid Provisions in ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said “No” Thursday when asked if he would overrule Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who rejected key Medicaid provisions in the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/26/sen-thune-says-he-will-not-overrule-parliamentarian-who-rejected-medicaid-provisions-in-big-beautiful-bill/

[roamer_1]

Get ready for tax increases.  I think there are a number of Republicans that would be perfectly happy with tax increases, and I trust Sen Thune as far as I can throw that RINO!

Which is why I keep tellin y'all this whole damn thing is a waste of time, money, and exuberance. It's all a pig in a poke.

The only, ONLY thing that will save this nation is a Conservative Congress, jealous of its powers. THAT is the work that needs done - putting that congress in place. All else is bullcrap.

[corbe]

[libertybele]

Which is why I keep tellin y'all this whole damn thing is a waste of time, money, and exuberance. It's all a pig in a poke.

The only, ONLY thing that will save this nation is a Conservative Congress, jealous of its powers. THAT is the work that needs done - putting that congress in place. All else is bullcrap.

I absolutely agree...getting enough conservatives to run and then seated is easier said then done. 

Our GOP Congress isn't exactly competent and very few are true conservatives.  Same old problem.

[Fishrrman]

"The only, ONLY thing that will save this nation is a Conservative Congress, jealous of its powers. THAT is the work that needs done - putting that congress in place."

Not.
Gonna.
Happen.

Not when 40-45% of the country has gone socialist/communist.

The only way there will ever be a "traditional-minded" Congress again, is after an American breakup from which results a new "Heartland Republic".
THEN you may see a "conservative" Congress.

Until then...
...furgheddaboutit.

The best you'll ever see is something like a "pre-Civil-War" division.
Pretty much what we have NOW.

[roamer_1]

I absolutely agree...getting enough conservatives to run and then seated is easier said then done. 

Our GOP Congress isn't exactly competent and very few are true conservatives.  Same old problem.

That's right... Far easier to woohoo and rah rah after all this silly nonsense than it is to do the heavy lifting. But the heavy lifting is what gets it done.

[roamer_1]

"The only, ONLY thing that will save this nation is a Conservative Congress, jealous of its powers. THAT is the work that needs done - putting that congress in place."

Not.
Gonna.
Happen.

Not when 40-45% of the country has gone socialist/communist.

The only way there will ever be a "traditional-minded" Congress again, is after an American breakup from which results a new "Heartland Republic".
THEN you may see a "conservative" Congress.

Until then...
...furgheddaboutit.

The best you'll ever see is something like a "pre-Civil-War" division.
Pretty much what we have NOW.

That's certainly true if no one will fight for it. It's the very same fight y'all are doing now, for the very same things. Except this is feigning after it, and not the real thing.

And because of that misdirection, Congress can be the way it is, and Alinsky moves us ever forward, slouching toward Gomorrah.

[mystery-ak]

Tuberville: Senate Parliamentarian Has ‘Got to Be Gone’ — ‘We’ve Got to Fire Her’

Thursday, during an appearance on Fox Business Network’s “Kudlow,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) reiterated an earlier call for Senate Republicans to fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/06/26/tuberville-senate-parliamentarian-has-got-to-be-gone-weve-got-to-fire-her/

[mystery-ak]

 Senate parliamentarian rejects religious college tax carve-out, gun silencer deregulation in GOP megabill
by Alexander Bolton - 06/27/25 7:35 AM ET

The Senate parliamentarian has rejected a Republican attempt to exempt a small number of religious schools, including Hillsdale College — where many graduates go on to careers in conservative politics —— from an income tax on college endowments.

The GOP bill would substantially raise the tax on the returns of wealthy college endowments but it exempted Hillsdale, a Christian liberal arts school in Michigan, which hired a team of lobbyists to avoid getting hit by the tax.

Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has also ruled against a section of the bill that removes regulations pertaining to gun silencers and easily concealable firearms under the National Firearms Act.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5372698-senate-parliamentarian-religious-college-tax-carveout-gun-silencer-deregulation-gop-megabill/

[rustynail]

John Thune Says He Will Not Overrule Parliamentarian Who Rejected Medicaid Provisions in ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said “No” Thursday when asked if he would overrule Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who rejected key Medicaid provisions in the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/26/sen-thune-says-he-will-not-overrule-parliamentarian-who-rejected-medicaid-provisions-in-big-beautiful-bill/

Bears repeating..

[mystery-ak]

toddstarnes
@toddstarnes
·
4h
Senate Republican leadership will not fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough because they're using her to do their dirty work. They don't want Trump's agenda to pass - so they are using her as their excuse.

[rustynail]

What is passive-aggressive behavior? What are some of the signs?
Passive-aggressive behavior is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them. There's a disconnect between what a person who exhibits passive-aggressive behavior says and what he or she does.

For example, someone who engages in passive-aggressive behavior might appear to agree — perhaps even enthusiastically — with another person's request. Rather than complying with the request, however, he or she might express anger or resentment by failing to follow through or missing deadlines.

Specific signs of passive-aggressive behavior include:

Resentment and opposition to the demands of others, especially the demands of people in positions of authority
Resistance to cooperation, procrastination and intentional mistakes in response to others' demands
Cynical, sullen or hostile attitude
Frequent complaints about feeling underappreciated or cheated...https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/passive-aggressive-behavior/faq-20057901

Remind anyone of some of the republican leadership?

[mystery-ak]

 Trump urges Senate GOP to overrule parliamentarian
by Sylvan Lane and Sarah Fortinsky - 06/29/25 5:10 PM ET

President Trump urged Senate Republicans on Sunday to overrule the chamber’s parliamentarian in order to pass key parts of his sweeping domestic policy bill.

In a Sunday post on Truth Social, the president backed a call from Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and other GOP hard-liners to ignore rulings from Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough.

“Great Congressman Greg Steube is 100% correct. An unelected Senate Staffer (Parliamentarian), should not be allowed to hurt the Republicans Bill. Wants many fantastic things out. NO! DJT,” Trump wrote.

The parliamentarian is the nonpartisan Senate official responsible for determining whether parts of laws meant to be passed through budget reconciliation comply with the rules for that process.

Budget reconciliation bills can pass the Senate with simple majorities, thereby averting the filibuster. But those provisions must follow specific instructions passed through a budget resolution and not expand the deficit past the window laid out in the bill.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5376089-trump-urges-republicans-to-overrule-parliamentarian/

[Wingnut]

The parliamentarian is the nonpartisan Senate official

There is no such thing as a "nonpartisan Senate official".

[Bigun]

There is no such thing as a "nonpartisan Senate official".

Especially not one appointed by Harry Reid!

[Wingnut]

Especially not one appointed by Harry Reid!

His stench is still wafting over the halls of the Senate. 

Maybe we should give Jerry Nadler a break and blame the stink on Harry!