Senator Elizabeth McDonough has ruled that several important elements of the significant bill aimed at advancing President Trump’s agenda have violated the Bird Rules. This means they need to be removed to allow for a simple majority vote via a special fast-track procedure.
There was pushback against multiple provisions based on the authority of the Senate’s Banking, Environment, Public Works, and Armed Services Committees.
Among these were measures that aimed to impose a funding cap on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), potentially slashing $6.4 billion from its budget by reducing its maximum funding to zero percent of the Federal Reserve’s operating costs.
The CFPB was established as a key reform under the Dodd-Frank Act after the 2008 financial meltdown.
Additionally, she eliminated language that would cut Federal Reserve staff wages, reducing expenses by $1.4 billion, and proposing to eliminate the public company’s Accounting Oversight Board, resulting in a $293 million cut.
Senator Jeff Merkley, a leading Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, supported McDonough’s ruling.
“The Senator mentioned that some provisions in this grand betrayal by Republicans fall under the Bird Rule, which ultimately necessitates their removal from the bill to adhere to settlement rules,” Merkley noted.
He added that Senate Republicans seem more inclined to discard their rulebooks in favor of advancing their agenda for families and billionaires.
If these provisions aren’t removed, Republicans would face the challenge of needing 60 votes to proceed with the bill.
Currently, Republicans hold a slim majority of 53 to 47 in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader John Tune could have opted to override McDonough’s ruling with a simple majority vote on the floor, which would set a new Senate precedent, but he chose not to pursue that route.
The ruling also highlighted that various sections of the bill concerning the Environment and Public Works Commission violated the Bird Rules. This included opposition to the removal of funding permits tied to the Inflation Reduction Act and the reduction of emissions standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency for lighter and medium-sized vehicles starting in 2027.
Moreover, she opposed provisions connected to the Armed Services Panel, which would have cut funding to the Department of Defense if a spending plan wasn’t submitted on time.
