Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled on Monday that Republicans won’t move to overrule the chamber’s parliamentarian during an upcoming debate on President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
“We’re not going there,” Thune said when asked by reporters about overruling Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who will play a special role in vetting the bill for compliance with the strict Senate rules allowing Republicans to bypass a Democratic filibuster.
Senate staffers met with MacDonough during last week’s recess to vet the House-passed megabill and talk through their own ideas, conversations first reported by POLITICO. Thune said that committee staffers tasked with drafting the legislation will continue conferring with her this week and next week. At the end of the process, MacDonough will make rulings on whether various policies comply with the chamber’s rules.
The question about the fate of the parliamentarian comes after Senate Republicans sidestepped her in a recent fight to nix waivers allowing California to set its own emissions standards.
At least one of Thune’s members is already publicly floating that his party should be willing to directly overrule MacDonough on the megabill. In a tweet last month, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote on X that “disagreeing with the Senate parliamentarian may be warranted if the parliamentarian gives bad advice, and it’s wrong to suggest otherwise.”
Several significant pieces of the House-approved bill are at risk of falling out of the legislation as it moves through the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday that Democrats will challenge one House provision that places limits on the ability of federal judges to enforce contempt citations. He predicted it will get booted from the bill.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, added that Democrats are looking at challenging some immigration provisions, as well. He added that it was his understanding that conversations with MacDonough were just getting started.
