The Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, delivered a blow to the $1 billion budget bill that collectively funds ICE, Border Patrol, and the Big Ugly Ballroom Boondoggle, ruling on Saturday that the bill will need to be rewritten for jurisdictional issues.
As written the bill would be subject to a 60-vote threshold to pass.
The bill would not move forward with a simple majority, as Republicans would not be able to implement budget reconciliation. Sixty votes in the Senate to pass the bill is highly unlikely.
After meeting with the parliamentarian, Senate Democrats explained that the massive project would involve multiple government agencies to coordinate, and as written violates Senate rules.
The Technicalities
It’s not clear if Republicans can rewrite the provision in a way that would fully resolve the parliamentarian’s issues. The budget resolution detailing what can be included in the bill only allows language to originate from the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The complications for Republicans are evident despite the pleas from MAGAs, John Fetterman, and the holy rollers at the Christian Nationalist Cult Festival over the weekend.
But never fear, Republicans are working fearlessly to fund Trump’s ballroom with taxpayer monies, while ignoring the affordability crisis across the country.
Trump promised the ballroom would be built with donor money, but Republicans plan to rewrite the bill, because according to Trump himself, they “don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.”