Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) pressed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the Biden administration to “ignore” the ruling that came from the Senate parliamentarian over the weekend which appears to have sealed the fate of progressive Democrats’ attempt to add immigration proposals to their massive reconciliation bill.
Omar tweeted, “This ruling by the parliamentarian, is only a recommendation. @SenSchumer and the @WhiteHouse can and should ignore it,” Omar said. “We can’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do the right thing.”
This ruling by the parliamentarian, is only a recommendation. @SenSchumer and the @WhiteHouse can and should ignore it.
We can’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to do the right thing. https://t.co/r1T7T7uQIP
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 20, 2021
As The Daily Wire reported:
The Associated Press reported late on Sunday evening that the Senate parliamentarian has indicated that Democrats cannot include a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens in the their massive $3.5 trillion social-spending bill.
Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pergram confirmed the report later on, writing: “A preliminary ruling from Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, obtained by Fox, would bar Democrats from adding immigration provisions to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.”
“Democrats did not have firm legislative text nor a total price tag for the bill. So it’s hard to see how there is an absolute ruling on this,” Pergram said. “But, budget reconciliation bills, which Democrats were using to avoid a filibuster, must be strictly fiscal in nature and can’t add to the deficit. It was believed that this push to add immigration to the bill was too policy-driven.”
“This is a blow to Democrats and progressives who pushed to add immigration provisions to the bill. This will cause problems if Democrats have to slash the total size of the legislation to mollify moderate Democrats,” Pergram continued. “It was thought that lopping immigration provisions into the bill could help placate liberals if Democrats have to trim the size of the legislation.”
While the presiding officer could go around the recommendation of the parliamentarian, this would be out of the ordinary.
According to constitutioncenter.org, “The Parliamentarian also offers advice about interpreting standing rules about legislation. The presiding officer usually accepts interpretations issued by the Parliamentarian, but the interpretations aren’t binding on their own.”
“[O]n rare occasions, a presiding officer will overrule the Parliamentarian. In 1975, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller ignored advice from Senate Parliamentarian Floyd Riddick about the proper procedure for handling a vote about changing the Senate’s filibuster rules,” the site noted.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cheered the recent decision of the parliamentarian.
“Senate rules never contemplated a majority circumventing the filibuster by pretending that sweeping and transformational new policies were mere budgetary changes,” McConnell said in a statement. “Tonight’s ruling confirms that principle. Democrats will not be able to stuff their most radical amnesty proposals into the reckless taxing and spending spree they are assembling behind closed doors. This just illustrates how radical Democrats’ aspirations are and how unmoored their far-left wish list has become from the procedures they want to use to ram it through.”
“Democratic leaders refused to resist their progressive base and stand up for the rule of law, even though our border has never been less secure,” McConnell continued. “After decades of failing to enact their amnesty agenda, Democrats tried this latest unprecedented gambit. It was inappropriate and I’m glad it failed.”
The decision comes as several circumstances have created an increasingly difficult path for Democrats to push through their $3.5 trillion spending package known as the “human infrastructure package.”
Unlike the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed with approval from both parties, the Democrats are seeking to use the reconciliation process to get it through with 51 votes in the Senate and zero Republican support.
Plans for the bill include adding policy proposals involving climate change, expanding Medicare, and efforts to provide “free” education.