‘The rules are whatever a majority says they are’: John Thune proves Senate Republicans will ignore anything to pass Trump’s megabill

Senate Republicans are working on consolidating President Donald Trump’s agenda into a single comprehensive bill, transforming the House’s megabill into legislation that can successfully pass through the Senate. This effort requires navigating around potential Democratic filibusters through specific procedural methods.

According to MSNBC, Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s recent strategic maneuver has increased the likelihood of pushing through more policy projects from the House’s “big, beautiful bill” than previously anticipated. This development came through a series of 10 votes last week, where Thune successfully circumvented the Senate parliamentarian’s authority regarding California’s electric vehicle mandate.

Thune’s understanding of Senate operations was clear when he demonstrated that “the Senate’s rules are whatever a majority of the Senate says that they are.” This principle became evident as he managed to work around Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s previous ruling that had blocked Republican attempts to overturn California’s EV standards using the Congressional Review Act (CRA).

How Senate Republicans plan to bypass traditional procedures

The typical process for passing bills in the Senate requires 60 votes for cloture to overcome a filibuster. However, Republicans are utilizing exceptions like the budget reconciliation process, which allows certain spending legislation to move forward with a simple majority. With 53 Senate votes, Republicans can effectively exclude Democrats from the process.

Thune’s recent parliamentary strategy involved getting a Senate majority to agree that points of order are permitted under the CRA process, despite the law stating otherwise. This move created a pathway to challenge the California mandate’s classification, despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempts to block the maneuver through various parliamentary tactics.

This development raises concerns about the potential handling of other elements in the House bill that should normally be removed under the Byrd rule, including provisions about artificial intelligence regulation and court injunction enforcement. Republicans’ approach to calculating tax cut costs might also conflict with the parliamentarian’s interpretation of budget laws.

While the Senate still needs to prepare its version for the parliamentarian’s review, Thune’s demonstrated ability to circumvent traditional procedures suggests that Republicans may continue to bypass established rules to advance their agenda. If McDonough doesn’t provide favorable responses, Republicans have shown they’re willing to work around her authority as long as they maintain majority support.