Senate Parliamentarian Deals Huge Blow To Critical Part Of GOP's ‘Big Beautiful Bill'

The Senate’s rules referee said key Medicaid cuts aren’t allowed under the special process the GOP is using to deliver Donald Trump’s agenda.

WASHINGTON — The Senate parliamentarian said major Medicaid cuts in the GOP’s massive tax and spending package violate the chamber’s rules — a big setback for President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

Republicans already were having big disagreements over the Medicaid provisions of their so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and the parliamentarian’s ruling threatens to blow up the legislation altogether.

The core of the bill is a package of tax cuts costing around $4 trillion financed in part by about $1 trillion in spending cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Senate’s in-house rules expert has now thrown the cuts into doubt, potentially making it even harder for Republicans to claim the legislation is fiscally responsible.

The rulings announced Thursday morning by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who has led Democrats’ challenges to the bill’s provisions in closed-door meetings with the parliamentarian, concern cuts to Medicaid funding for states that cover noncitizens, a ban on gender-affirming care in the Children’s Health Insurance Program and a limit on “provider taxes” states use to finance their portion of Medicaid spending.

“Democrats are fighting back against Republicans’ plans to gut Medicaid, dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and kick kids, veterans, seniors, and folks with disabilities off of their health insurance — all to fund tax breaks for billionaires,” Merkley said in a statement.