House Republicans are addressing issues with their large tax and spending bill, which includes provisions flagged by the Senate parliamentarian as non-compliant with Senate rules. The bill requires critical edits to ensure it meets the requirements for the budget reconciliation process, which allows passage without Democratic votes. Senior GOP aides warn that failing to address these issues could render the bill ‘fatal’ in its current form.
According to five people with direct knowledge, the House plan is undergoing revisions in the Rules Committee to eliminate provisions that conflict with Senate rules. The Senate parliamentarian has identified certain elements as non-compliant, and without these changes, the bill could fail to adhere to the rules governing the reconciliation process. The party is aiming to avoid a ‘fatal’ outcome by revising the legislation, while also avoiding a vote that would require a party-line majority. The effort reflects ongoing attempts to navigate the complex rules surrounding budget, which allows the passage of domestic policy measures without requiring Democratic support.
One provision the parliamentarian has raised concerns about is a clearinghouse to crack down on duplicative food aid, Medicaid and other safety net benefits, according to two other people aware of the emerging plan. This issue is currently in limbo between two panel jurisdictions. Among the many rules Senate Republicans must adhere to in a reconciliation bill is that it can’t include a policy that falls outside the jurisdiction of one of the committees empowered through the budget resolution Republicans approved in April to set parameters for the larger package. It also can’t include a policy that would affect federal spending, when the committee in question was instructed to change revenue.
Lawmakers will work within the House Rules Committee to make these tweaks, according to the people, inserting the new language into an unrelated rule which the panel will adopt Tuesday to govern floor consideration for other legislation. That tactic would negate the need to have House Republicans vote on the party-line tax and spending package as a standalone measure, when passing the bill the first time around through a razor-thin GOP majority was a painful enough episode for leadership. The GOP plan to make technical corrections to the megabill inside the Rules Committee was first reported by Punchbowl News.