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 President Trump has said he wants the next budget reconciliation package on his desk by June 1.  If Congress wants to meet that deadline and take its scheduled recess, it must pass the bill this week. Last week, the Parliamentarian and Senate staff began the “Byrd Bath” review of the two Senate bills that will comprise the reconciliation package.  Following consideration of Democrats’ first challenges, the Parliamentarian ruled against a significant part of the Homeland Security Committee bill and funding for the White House ballroom included in the Judiciary Committee bill.  Senate Republicans will rewrite those provisions to try to bring them into compliance with the Byrd rule.

  Senate floor debate and vote-a-rama will begin on Thursday. Most of the amendments offered during debate are sure to fail.  But an anticipated Democratic amendment that would strike the ballroom funding and divert that money to other law enforcement projects could garner sufficient support from moderate Republicans to pass, based on their concerns about the political optics surrounding that project.  Even if that provision survives in the Senate, House Republicans might ultimately vote to remove it.