Senate Republicans Need to Step Up and Deliver on Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

There’s been a lot of hand-wringing in Washington, D.C., this week about the One Big Beautiful Bill, as the Senate goes through the “Byrd Bath” to scrub the reconciliation bill for compliance with the rules.

But what is the Byrd Rule, what’s a “Byrd Bath,” and why does all this jargon matter for Americans hoping to see President Trump enact his commonsense agenda?

The “Byrd Bath” is a special process by which the Senate parliamentarian reviews provisions in a budget reconciliation bill to determine whether they comply with the Byrd Rule.

The Byrd Rule, named after former Sen. Robert Byrd, sets strict guidelines. Its purpose is to prevent non-budgetary (“extraneous”) items from bypassing the Senate filibuster through reconciliation. The rule defines six categories of provisions that are considered “extraneous” and thus ineligible for reconciliation:

1. It does not produce a change in outlays or revenues;
2. It produces a deficit increase when the instructed committee is not in compliance with its instructions;
3. It is outside the jurisdiction of the committee that submitted the title or provision for inclusion in the reconciliation measure;
4. It produces a change in outlays or revenues that is “merely incidental” to the non-budgetary components of the provision;
5. It would increase the deficit for a fiscal year beyond the “budget window” covered by the reconciliation measure—in this case, 10 years; and
6. It makes changes to Social Security.

During the “Byrd Bath,” the Senate parliamentarian sits down with Republicans and Democrats to review the proposed legislative text and determine whether each provision complies with those six rules. After both sides make their arguments, she provides her opinion. Sometimes her opinion is based on strict precedent; other times, there is no precedent, and the advice is subjective.

It’s important to understand that this is a multi-step process. Proponents can always improve their arguments and rewrite legislative language to earn a favorable opinion from the parliamentarian. Opponents can return with new objections as well.

The Swamp refers to these opinions as “rulings,” but the parliamentarian is just a staffer. She can advise, but she cannot rule. It is the presiding officer of the Senate who rules—and ultimately, the senators themselves decide whether the Byrd Rule has been violated.

That understanding not only aligns with our Founders’ vision of a government in which elected representatives exercise the authority delegated to them by We the People, but it also ensures that those with election certificates do not subordinate their responsibilities to unelected bureaucrats.

Senate Republicans cannot solely blame an unelected staffer in a backroom for failing to deliver on the president’s commonsense agenda—nor should we. As conservatives, we should not call for tossing out the rule book entirely. What we need is transparency and accountability from Senate leadership. We need to know that Senate Republicans are doing everything possible to make this bill as Big and Beautiful as it can be for the American people.

That means bringing in the best minds and making the best arguments. Senate leadership needs to step up and improve their game. And if the current parliamentarian flatly rejects credible defenses of critical reforms, it would be a disservice to the American people if Senate Republicans did not take matters into their own hands and empower a new parliamentarian—one who will faithfully interpret the Senate rules.

Such a move would not be unprecedented. In 2001, during reconciliation, Senate Republicans did exactly that. When the parliamentarian wasn’t doing the job to members’ satisfaction, leadership made a change.

Taking matters into their own hands also means looking in the mirror and embracing the Senate’s authority to determine its own rules and proceedings—in which the presiding officer of the Senate rules and the full Senate decides the outcome of this bill—not an unelected staffer.

Our Founders purposely built a system of government in which each branch would vigorously assert itself. President Trump understands this. Since noon on Jan. 20, he has exercised his constitutional authority accordingly.

It’s time for Senate Republicans to step up, work in the interests of the American people, and get the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line.

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