I’m sitting here looking at the Constitution and cant find where a parliamentarian has any authority to override Congress or tell them what rules they have to followhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/senate-parliamentarian-nixes-trumps-ballroom-fund-budget-bill-rcna345518. We aren’t living in a representative republic. We live in a bureaucracy.
Categories: Government
8 Comments
Lynn · May 17, 2026 at 7:46 am
Man, is that ever true.
oldvet50 · May 17, 2026 at 8:39 am
That’s easy. It’s right after the section that removes the Vice President from presiding over the Senate and replaces him with John Thune.
TJ · May 17, 2026 at 8:58 am
When the libs chant about saving ‘our democracy’, what they really mean is ‘their bureaucracy’.
Henry · May 17, 2026 at 11:24 am
Isn’t it curious that all these traditions and rules must be rigorously enforced when Republicans control Congress, but are trivially bent or discarded when Democrats run the show. It’s oh so convenient for Thune or Johnson to shrug and say that there’s nothing that can be done about it, giving them the best excuses for failing to produce results.
Miles · May 17, 2026 at 11:45 am
Article I § 5 of the Constitution grants each chamber of Congress the authority to govern itself in matters of procedure.
“Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings…”
This is the hook the Senate hangs its hat on; hiring a lackey purportedly (IMO with backchannel messages) to tell them what to do, or not do, so they can point a finger and evade responsibility by saying ‘It’s not our fault!’
As an aside, this is how SCOTUS evaded ruling on how the House underhandedly passed the ‘Hughes Amendment’ -18 US Code §922(o) – to ban new manufacture of transferable MGs.
oldvet50 · May 18, 2026 at 8:08 am
Again, while that may be true, only an amendment to the Constitution can change Article I, Section 3 that states the Vice President shall (not may) preside over the Senate. Although he cannot vote unless there is a tie, he can determine WHAT shall be voted upon. It just goes to show you the uni-party (including MAGA) did not want the SAVE Act to go any further. It is too late now to matter.
The Neon Madman · May 17, 2026 at 10:19 pm
I use the term “bureaucratic autocracy”, which is probably much the same as your thinking.
Vlad the non-Impaler · May 18, 2026 at 3:18 am
This is just one of many ways that CONgress can throw up their hands and say, “Hey look, it’s not *me* that’s stopping this, it’s that guy.”
This BS should have been done away with 3 yesterdays ago, AKA – DECADES ago.
This bullshit tells you all you need to know about “law makers” and the pile of dung they hang their hat on.
NOBODY GIVES A RATS ASS ABOUT YOU!
It’s all about how they can line their pockets and not get caught because nobody is looking. 🙄🙄
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