Washington’s latest drama unfolds as the Senate parliamentarian delivers a gut punch to the GOP’s sweeping tax and spending package, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by none other than Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
The Hill reported that over the past few days, Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s rule-keeper, has axed a slew of provisions from this ambitious Republican legislation, ruling they don’t comply with Senate guidelines under the Byrd Rule, forcing the party to scramble for solutions with a tight deadline looming.
“Big, beautiful bill,” Thune called it, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder when over a dozen measures get tossed out like yesterday’s news.
If Thune wants this on President Trump’s desk by July 4, he’s got a steeper climb than a Dakota winter. The question is whether the GOP can polish these rejects into something passable or if they’ll need a legislative Plan B.
The so-called “Byrd bath” process, where provisions are scrubbed for eligibility under reconciliation rules to pass with just 51 votes, has turned into a cold shower for Republican hopes. MacDonough’s rulings aren’t personal—they’re procedural—but that doesn’t make the sting any less real for conservatives itching to reshape federal policy.
Among the casualties are provisions that hit close to home for many on the right, like a plan to hike retirement contributions for new federal workers who opt out of at-will status.
Deemed extraneous under the Byrd Rule, it’s back to the drawing board for a policy that could’ve tightened the belt on government spending. Talk about a missed opportunity to rein in bureaucratic bloat.
Then there’s the border security language, which would’ve handed states more power to enforce immigration laws—a federal domain traditionally.
MacDonough ruled it out of bounds, leaving conservatives frustrated at yet another roadblock to securing the nation’s edges without federal overreach. It’s a bitter pill when common-sense ideas get sidelined by Senate fine print.
Food assistance got a double whammy with two SNAP-related measures struck down—one barring noncitizens from benefits and another forcing states to cover a chunk of costs based on error rates. While progressive voices might cheer, many on the right see this as coddling a system already rife with inefficiencies. Surely, accountability shouldn’t be this hard to codify.
Environmental and energy policies took hits too, with measures fast-tracking offshore oil and gas projects and nixing judicial reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act getting the boot. For those tired of endless red tape strangling American energy independence, this feels like a slap from the woke green agenda—even if it’s just Senate rules at play.
Even a push to sell off federal lands in multiple states, championed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), couldn’t survive the parliamentary purge.
Lee’s not giving up, though, planning to narrow the scope to Bureau of Land Management parcels near population centers. His vow to “SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE” the land involved might salvage something, but it’s a far cry from the original vision.
Other rejected ideas include slashing funds for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to zero and gutting over $1 billion from financial oversight bodies—moves that could’ve curbed what many see as regulatory overreach. Add to that a scrapped plan to force the sale of electric vehicles from the Postal Service fleet, and it’s clear the left’s pet projects are dodging bullets. Frustrating, sure, but it’s a reminder of how entrenched certain interests remain.
Agriculture didn’t escape either, with a measure to extend suspension of permanent price supports for farm commodities until 2031 ruled out of reconciliation.
Needing 60 votes now, it’s a long shot in a polarized Senate, leaving rural America wondering if their concerns will ever get a fair shake. The system seems rigged against practical reforms sometimes.
Even infrastructure, like the proposed Ambler Road in Alaska for mining, got nixed by MacDonough’s pen, alongside a measure to repeal an EPA rule on vehicle emissions.
For conservatives, these rejections symbolize a bureaucracy more obsessed with process than progress. It’s hard not to sigh when job-creating projects get buried under paperwork.
Yet, not all is lost—a policy rescinding Democrat-approved funds for more Postal Service electric vehicles and chargers still stands in the bill. It’s a small win for those wary of government over-spending on trendy environmental fads, but hardly enough to call this a victory lap. The GOP needs more than scraps to tout.
With Thune’s July 4 deadline looming, Republicans have options: rework these provisions to fit the rules or find another way to push their agenda. The clock is ticking, and every day lost to Senate minutiae is a day closer to disappointment for a base hungry for results. Will the party deliver, or will this “big, beautiful” dream fizzle under procedural weight?