The Senate's rule keeper shot down major parts of Tim Scott's budget plan on Thursday. Elizabeth MacDonough said key pieces of the Republican senator's bill break the rules for fast-track voting. Scott chairs the Banking Committee and wanted to use a special process called reconciliation to pass his bill with fewer votes.
MacDonough blocked Scott's plan to cut $6.4 billion from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His proposal would have stripped all money from the agency that watches over banks and protects people from bad financial deals. She also rejected his idea to slash $1.4 billion from Federal Reserve worker paychecks.
Scott said he still wants to pass laws that stop government waste and save taxpayer money. Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley fired back at Republicans for trying to ignore Senate rules. He said Democrats will make sure the proper procedures stay in place.
The South Carolina Republican had other targets in his budget bill. He wanted to shut down the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and cut funds from the Treasury Department's research office. Scott promised to keep working with the parliamentarian to fix his committee's budget proposals.
Democrat Elizabeth Warren leads the minority side of the Banking Committee. She called Scott's bill ugly and promised Democrats will keep fighting against it. The ruling means Scott must remove the blocked parts if he wants to use the fast-track voting process.
MacDonough blocked Scott's plan to cut $6.4 billion from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His proposal would have stripped all money from the agency that watches over banks and protects people from bad financial deals. She also rejected his idea to slash $1.4 billion from Federal Reserve worker paychecks.
Scott said he still wants to pass laws that stop government waste and save taxpayer money. Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley fired back at Republicans for trying to ignore Senate rules. He said Democrats will make sure the proper procedures stay in place.
The South Carolina Republican had other targets in his budget bill. He wanted to shut down the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and cut funds from the Treasury Department's research office. Scott promised to keep working with the parliamentarian to fix his committee's budget proposals.
Democrat Elizabeth Warren leads the minority side of the Banking Committee. She called Scott's bill ugly and promised Democrats will keep fighting against it. The ruling means Scott must remove the blocked parts if he wants to use the fast-track voting process.
