US Capitol Building at sunset on January 30th, 2025 (Fox News Digital)
As a result, the bill must be fiscal in nature and not add to the deficit. It cannot include "policy." This is known as the "Byrd Rule." It’s named after late Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd (D-W.V.). The process of meeting with the Parliamentarian is the "Byrd Bath." MacDonough serves as a referee to decide what fits with Senate budget rules. The various provisions which MacDonough fillets from the bill are called "Byrd droppings."
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Anyway, despite the cornpone Senate humor, the process offstage on Sunday is crucial to the process. What’s ruled in or out could bolster chances of passing the bill – or kill it.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to members of the media at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (Valerie Plesch)
Then the measure must go back to the House. That’s because the Senate will inevitably change the bill. The House and Senate must be aligned before the bill can go to the president’s desk.
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And this is why the deadline to finish the bill by July 4 may slip.
Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.
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