What the Parliamentarian Rejected

On Thursday, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough struck several provisions from the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, dealing a serious blow to core elements of former President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

This prompted calls for her dismissal by Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, among others.

The bill forms the backbone of Trump’s 2025 policy agenda and includes tax reform, spending cuts, and regulatory rollbacks.

MacDonough ruled that the following portions of the bill could not move forward under the budget reconciliation process:

• Medicaid Provider Tax Cap & Noncitizen Coverage Ban
  • Rejected a cap on state health care provider taxes aimed at reducing federal Medicaid spending.
  • Blocked a measure to revoke Medicare eligibility for many noncitizens, including refugees and asylum-seekers who meet work and age criteria.
• ACA Abortion Coverage Restrictions
  • Struck down a provision barring ACA subsidies for plans that cover abortion.
  • Rejected a related measure that would have ended “silver loading” of ACA plans.
• Medicaid/CHIP Restrictions Based on Immigration Status
  • Rejected a ban on federal Medicaid and CHIP spending for individuals with unverifiable immigration status.
  • Blocked a proposed reduction in Medicaid funding for states covering undocumented immigrants.
• Federal Employees Retirement Contributions
  • Nixed a measure increasing retirement contribution rates for civil servants who refuse at-will status.
• State Authority Over Border Enforcement
  • Rejected language giving states federal immigration enforcement powers.
• Court Contempt Power Limits
  • Blocked efforts to weaken court powers to enforce rulings against Trump administration actions.
• SNAP Eligibility and Cost-Sharing Rules
  • Rejected a measure barring noncitizens and non–permanent residents from SNAP.
  • Blocked a cost-sharing proposal requiring states to pay a portion of SNAP aid based on error rates.
• Permanent Farm Subsidy Extension
  • Struck a GOP effort to extend farm commodity subsidies through 2031 outside regular farm bill procedures.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Defunding
  • Blocked a provision to zero out CFPB funding from the Federal Reserve.
  • Rejected additional cost-cutting measures targeting Federal Reserve staff pay and financial oversight agencies.
• Public Land Sales
  • Rejected a proposal by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to sell off millions of acres of federal land.
  • Lee has said he will revise and resubmit a scaled-down version.
• Offshore Oil & Gas Policy Rollbacks
  • Blocked automatic NEPA compliance for offshore oil and gas projects.
  • Struck a 90-day lease issuance deadline and a mandate to approve Alaska’s Ambler Road project.
• Postal Service EV Fleet Mandate Reversal
  • Rejected a measure requiring the Postal Service to sell its electric vehicle fleet.
  • A related provision to rescind EV funding for USPS remains in the bill.
• EPA Auto Emissions Rule Repeal
  • Nixed a provision to repeal air pollution regulations for passenger vehicles.
• Judicial Bypass for Environmental Reviews
  • Rejected a plan to allow developers to skip environmental reviews by paying a one-time fee.
• Modified REINS Act Inclusion
  • Blocked a revised version of the REINS Act aimed at expanding congressional authority over major federal regulations.

Despite the backlash against the Parliamentarian’s rulings, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made clear he would not challenge MacDonough’s decisions. Instead, he and other Republicans will be attempting to adjust or eliminate portions of the bill to pass MacDonough’s approval under the Byrd Rule. “We still plan to get the big, beautiful bill to President Trump’s desk by July 4,” Thune said Thursday, signaling his intent to move forward with the legislation under the chamber’s reconciliation rules.