Sen. Paul to Newsmax: Parliamentarian Has Too Much Power

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voiced frustration on Newsmax, Wednesday, over the Senate rule granting significant authority to the Senate parliamentarian — an unelected official — to determine whether provisions in budget legislation are about policy or budget, decisions he said should be left to elected officials.

Paul expressed disapproval of the Senate rules that entrust critical decisions on budget legislation to the parliamentarian after a provision intended to limit funding for courts issuing nationwide judicial injunctions was removed.

On "The Chris Salcedo Show," Paul described the Senate rule as problematic, emphasizing it places substantial power into the hands of a figure who is not directly accountable to the voters.

"I think most Americans would be perplexed to know why an unelected person is making these decisions," Paul said. "These are profound, big decisions."

The senator clarified that the tension lies in how the parliamentarian interprets reconciliation procedures and budgetary rules allowing legislation to pass with a simple majority.

Specifically, he raised concerns that provisions frequently involve overlapping budgetary and policy implications, creating ambiguity that leaves much to the parliamentarian's discretion.

"Essentially, it's this. When we have reconciliation, there's a question: Is the predominant effect of the portion of the legislation about the budget, or is it about policy?" Paul explained. "But a lot of things are a tough call, and they can be about both policy and budget, as I think this is."

Paul emphasized the fundamental issue of accountability, highlighting that the parliamentarian is insulated from public electoral scrutiny.

"This person who has not been elected by anybody can't be unelected, can't be removed from office, and for which the public has no way of expressing displeasure is making these decisions," Paul said. "It's a terrible situation, and it's a bizarre sort of situation that we are all beholden. No one has voted for this person."

He underscored that the structural problem stems from long-standing rules, not from personal attributes of the parliamentarian herself.

"I'm not saying she's a bad person," Paul added. "I'm just saying that we're all beholden to this person because of the way we've structured the rules, really, since 1974."

Turning to broader fiscal policy, Paul expressed skepticism about Congress's ability to enact meaningful budgets or fiscal discipline in the future.

Asked whether Americans could trust lawmakers to pass a budget after decades without one, Paul bluntly replied, "no," likening Congress to a "reckless teenager that's not good with money and shouldn't be trusted."

Paul decried the current reconciliation package, allowing Congress a $5 trillion increase in borrowing amid a contested deficit of $2.2 trillion this fiscal year. He challenged the credibility of Republicans who approved recent spending levels yet continue to blame Democrats for fiscal irresponsibility.

"The spending levels are no longer Biden's spending levels. They are GOP spending levels," Paul said. "I voted against the spending levels, but virtually every other Republican voted for them. Now the GOP is going to own the debt ceiling."

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