Republican Tommy Tuberville (pictured above), the senior senator from Alabama, first called for the firing of Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough – appointed by the late Nevada Democrat Harry Reid – in late June after she removed a number of provisions of the reconciliation package. He was most rankled by her removal of the Medicaid provision, passed in the House version of the bill.
Illegal immigrants were already ineligible for most Medicaid benefits, but seven states and Washington, DC, offer state-funded healthcare coverage to adults regardless of immigration status. Seven more offer benefits to children. The removed provision would have penalized states for providing coverage.
Tuberville wrote on X at the time:
"The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP. Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE."
Tuberville doubled down on MacDonough in an appearance on Washington Watch Wednesday. "She's not on our team. We're in the majority, and just because they've been up here a while and they've made friends, that doesn't play ball with me," the former Auburn and Ole Miss football coach told show host Tony Perkins.
The parliamentarian position is presented as a nonpartisan advisor. MacDonough ruled that provisions she cut were in violation of the "Byrd Rule," which states the use of the reconciliation process to pass legislation – which requires only a simple majority and not 60 votes – can only advance provisions that are budget-related.
MacDonough also blocked GOP efforts to ban federal funding for transgender care and limit state "provider taxes" which increase federal Medicaid funding.
The final version signed into law by President Donald Trump, in fact, continues to allow federal funding for gender-manipulation procedures.
Twenty-four-plus provisions whacked
MacDonough ruled that more than two dozen provisions violated the Byrd Rule. That also irritated the senator.
"Most of the time, probably, there's a balance between Republican and Democrat when it comes to parliamentarian. But when they've gotten it back to their mind that they really lean the other way, then you're going to have problems. We saw that during the big, beautiful bill. So why in the world are we even talking about this? This should have been done Day One," Tuberville said.
MacDonough remains employed under Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Tuberville is not the first to call for her ouster – and the calls have been bipartisan.
In 2021, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged then-Vice President Kamala Harris to overrule MacDonough striking a $15 minimum wage provision from the American Rescue Act, a reconciliation package during the Biden administration, The Daily Signal reports.
"I'm sorry – an unelected parliamentarian does not get to deprive 32 million Americans the raise they deserve," Khanna said at the time. "This is an advisory, not a ruling. VP Harris needs to disregard and rule a $15 minimum wage in order." Harris ultimately did not do so.
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) called for MacDonough's firing at the time.
"Abolish the filibuster. Replace the parliamentarian," she said on social media. "What's a Democratic majority if we can't pass our priority bills? This is unacceptable."
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) wasn't as forgiving two decades ago. He fired Senate Parliamentarian Robert Dove in May of 2001 because of disagreements over Dove's interpretations of budget reconciliation rules.
Dove had prevented provisions on tax cuts from advancing, saying they didn't comply with the Byrd Rule and would increase the federal deficit beyond the 10-year budget window.
"Dove's rulings frustrated Republican plans to pass President (George W.) Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut without the threat of a filibuster," The Washington Post reported then.
Dove was replaced by Alan Frumin, who was considered more moderate by Republicans.
Thune won't make the call
Thune , in his first term as majority leader, has resisted calls to replace MacDonough. Doing so would undermine the Senate's traditional rules-based process, he said, calling it a "nuclear option." Tuberville argued Thune should follow the Trent Lott model.
"Trent Lott … actually did what we should have done. After they started to vote on the bill, he said, 'Well, wait a minute, wait a minute. I'm just going to fire the parliamentarian. I'm going to replace this one with somebody else.' [Thune] can do that. That's what you call leadership, and a leader of the Senate can do that anytime. We should have done it. It should have been cleared up and off and running," Tuberville stated.
Tuberville implied that Thune melted in a big moment.
"Sometimes when you're the first time in leadership and taking over for a new group, you're kind of overwhelmed with other things that you have to do. But you have to look at what's very important," he shared. "What's very important up here is somebody who can turn a bill around on just a strike of a pencil – and that's what happened with the Big Beautiful Bill."
