Senate Republicans are facing major new issues with their domestic policy megabill after the chamber’s parliamentarian advised senators that several provisions they are counting on to reap hundreds of billions of dollars in budget savings won’t be able to pass along party lines.
Those include of major pieces of Medicaid policy, including politically explosive plan to hold down Medicaid costs by cracking down on state provider tax — a provision that is expected to have a nine-figure impact on the bill. Republicans now will have to try to rewrite major sections of their Finance bill or potentially leave out key policies.
The decisions were detailed in a Thursday morning memo from Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee. Other provisions now at risk include several GOP proposals to exclude undocumented residents from Medicaid, including by withholding federal funds from states that make them eligible for benefits.
The rulings come at a precipitous time for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders, who are already facing a revolt inside their conference from members wary of the practical and political impact of the Medicaid changes. They have proposed reverting to a less drastic House plan, which would merely freeze the existing provider taxes, though it’s unclear if that provision could also pass muster under Senate rules.
