Trump Is Pressuring John Thune to Fire the Parliamentarian Over Ballroom Funding
News of the United States - NOTUS • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she ruled that Republicans could not include funding for Trump's ballroom in a budget bill, sources told NOTUS.
- MacDonough determined the ballroom funding provision violated the Byrd Rule, which bars non-budget items from passing with a simple majority in reconciliation bills.
- Thune declined to comment on the firing request and stated he would not remove MacDonough, emphasizing the routine nature of disputes with the parliamentarian during reconciliation processes.
- Republicans plan to revise their proposal to try to include the ballroom funding and are seeking favorable rulings from MacDonough to advance a broader package that includes $72 billion for Border Patrol and ICE.
- Similar tensions occurred last year when MacDonough struck Medicaid provisions from Trump's tax bill, leading Trump allies to call for her dismissal at that time as well.