OPINION:
An unelected functionary wields enormous influence over the fate of major legislation. Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, is using her clout to veto key elements of the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That needs to stop.
Ms. MacDonough has advised the Senate on procedural matters since Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed her in 2012. Although she holds a nonpartisan position, it’s hard not to play favorites when implementing a legal standard that’s as vague and convoluted as the Byrd Rule.
The rule is designed to ensure that budget reconciliation measures, such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, contain only proposals altering government outlays or revenue. Inclusion in these thousand-page legislative vehicles is critical because a reconciliation can clear the chamber with a simple majority. Just about everything else requires 60 votes to evade a filibuster, and Republicans have only 53 seats.
Under the Byrd Rule, any senator