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The Senate rejected a motion to waive budget rules for an amendment proposed by Senator Merkley. This prevents the specific provision from being included in the final bill.
This vote was a procedural request to set aside certain budget restrictions so the Senate could consider Amendment No. 2446, introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley. The challenge involved Section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act, commonly known as part of the 'Byrd Rule.' This rule is designed to prevent senators from adding 'extraneous' items to budget bills that do not have a direct impact on federal spending or revenue. In the Senate, budget reconciliation bills follow strict guidelines. If an amendment is thought to violate these rules, a member can raise an objection. To bypass that objection, the Senate must vote to 'waive' the rules. This procedural step ensures that the fast-tracked budget process is used only for its intended fiscal purposes and requires broad support to overcome. The motion failed with 47 senators in favor and 53 against. Because the Senate did not agree to waive the rules, the challenged portion of the amendment was effectively blocked from the bill. The vote was notably bipartisan in its opposition, with a majority of both Democrats and Republicans voting against the waiver.
The Senate will proceed with the remainder of the bill or move to other amendments, while the excluded provision is removed from consideration.
Why it matters. This vote reinforces the Senate's adherence to the Byrd Rule, which prevents the budget process from being used for broad policy changes that lack a primary fiscal impact.
Who’s affected. Legislative proponents: Senators supporting this specific amendment must now find different legislative routes or rewrite their proposal to comply with budget rules.
Democrats. The Democratic caucus was split, with 20 members voting to waive the rules and 25 voting to maintain them.
Republicans. Republicans were also divided, with 24 supporting the waiver and 27 opposing it.
Jun 30, 2025
The Senate rejected a motion to waive budget rules for an amendment proposed by Senator Merkley.
This prevents the specific provision from being included in the final bill.