Chief Senate Parliamentarian Will Play Crucial Role in Health Care Legislation
Generally speaking, Ms. MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian since early 2012, will allow measures to benefit from the budget’s special, procedural shortcut if they are related to the budget. If not, the provision can be challenged under the “Byrd rule,”
.. That means Republicans likely won’t be able to address many health-insurance market regulations in their first legislative attempt to dismantle the law—Ms. MacDonough would likely rule those to be too unrelated to the budget to merit inclusion in the privileged legislation.
.. Republicans are using as their blueprint a measure repealing the Affordable Care Act that passed Congress in early 2016 under reconciliation, before being vetoed by President Barack Obama.
.. After conferring with Ms. MacDonough, Senate leaders altered the bill. For example, instead of simply repealing the individual mandate—the requirement that many individuals buy coverage or pay a penalty—the Senate simply set the penalty at zero dollars.
.. Parliamentarians are considered nonpartisan and are hired by the Secretary of the Senate, though they can lose their jobs if their decisions displease powerful lawmakers. Then-Majority Leader Trent Lott fired parliamentarian Robert Dove in 2001 over decisions he made
.. Ms. MacDonough, who has worked in the parliamentarian’s office since 1999, is popular with GOP leaders.
“She’s a brilliant lawyer, a thorough and fair referee and a walking encyclopedia of Senate precedent and procedure,” said Don Stewart, deputy chief of staff for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.).