Speaker Johnson floats using reconciliation to address alleged fraud in blue states
Source: The Hill
03/10/26 12:52 PM ET
DORAL, Fla. – Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday floated the idea of passing a sweeping spending package aimed at targeting what he described as fraud, waste and abuse in Democratic-led states.
Johnson said during a news conference at the House Republican retreat in Doral that he’s been a “champion for reconciliation as one of the important tools in the toolbox.”
“I think that we can come together and envision a Venn diagram as I do — what are those handful of issues that are in the center of those concentric circles that is something that every Republican can agree on, that is great things for the country,” Johnson said.
“I think the central theme of all this is we’re going to continue … working to lower the cost a bit for everyone because it’s a central issue, and also to stand up fraud, waste, abuse, and you’ve seen the fraud that’s been put on display in states like Minnesota. California is being audited for some of their fraud, some of the big blue states, I think they’ve got serious problems. We can use potentially reconciliation as a vehicle to address some of that as well,” he added.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5777077-johnson-targets-fraud-waste-abuse/
Um no. Policy riders are not permitted per the Byrd Rule and the Parliamentarians should ditch that crap if it appears.
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In 1985 and 1986, the Senate adopted the Byrd rule (named after its principal sponsor, Senator Robert C. Byrd) on a temporary basis as a means of curbing these practices. The Byrd rule was extended and modified several times over the years. In 1990, the Byrd rule was incorporated into the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as Section 313 and made permanent (2 U.S.C. 644).
A Senator opposed to the inclusion of extraneous matter in reconciliation legislation may offer an amendment (or a motion to recommit the measure with instructions) that strikes such provisions from the legislation, or, under the Byrd rule, a Senator may raise a point of order against such matter. In general, a point of order authorized under the Byrd rule may be raised in order to strike extraneous matter already in the bill as reported or discharged (or in the conference report), or to prevent the incorporation of extraneous matter through the adoption of amendments or motions. A motion to waive the Byrd rule, or to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the chair on a point of order raised under the Byrd rule, requires the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the membership (60 Senators if no seats are vacant).
The Byrd rule provides six definitions of what constitutes extraneous matter for purposes of the rule (and several exceptions thereto), but the term is generally described as covering provisions unrelated to achieving the goals of the reconciliation instructions.
The Byrd rule has been in effect during Senate consideration of 23 reconciliation measures from late 1985 through the present.
(snip)
He needs to quit dabbling with the 'shrooms.
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