Amnesty In Reconciliation Bill--Not So Fast

The Senate parliamentarian recently heard opposing arguments over whether an amnesty for eight million illegal aliens can be included in the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill.

Click here for an important video from Numbers USA regarding the falsehood of that number.

It is unlikely that anything will be known about the parliamentarian's position until the reconciliation bill comes to the Senate floor for debate. A formal ruling will come if amnesty is included in the bill by Democratic leaders and if any Senator objects and asks the parliamentarian to rule if amnesty can remain part of the legislation.

At issue is whether the amnesty violates the "Byrd Rule," which was adopted in 1985 and limits provisions in a reconciliation bill that aren't directly related to the budget. The reason Democrats are trying to use the reconciliation process to jam through a major amnesty is that they can do so without any Republican votes while avoiding a filibuster. That makes the parliamentarian decision so crucial here. 

from Numbers USA