Parliamentarian gives Democrats potential new tool for reconciliation in early ruling

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that Democrats may amend the budget resolution they used for their Covid-19 relief bill and attach another set of reconciliation instructions to it, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The ruling is a key step for Democrats as they weigh their options for moving infrastructure legislation, potentially giving them a route to pass new legislation without Republican votes. It's important to note, however, that some details are still going to have to be worked out with the parliamentarian, and it was not immediately clear whether it could be used to pass President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan. The infrastructure plan -- the White House's next major legislative push -- has garnered quick pushback from Republicans who have argued it's too expensive and encompasses overly partisan programs. The immediate clash along party lines had prompted Democrats to explore revisiting the same arcane budget process they employed to pass Biden's Covid relief package without any Republican support even before the President formally unveiled his proposal last week.