INTERNACIONAL
Senate parliamentarian: Who is the unelected official getting say on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill?’
Marjorie Taylor Greene rules out Senate run
Bluestack Strategies founder Maura Gillespie joins ‘The Fox Report’ to break down Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, R-Ga., announcement that she will not pursue a Senate run, and what it means for her political future.
House and Senate Republicans have been working for months on a sweeping piece of legislation addressing a litany of President Donald Trump’s agenda items.
Such a bill is possible via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party controlling Congress and the White House to pass broad policy overhauls while totally sidelining the minority. It lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, lining it up with the House’s simple majority rules.
However, one of the caveats is that the measures tucked into the bill must deal with taxes, spending or the national debt. One key person gets the final say over what is relevant to that sphere – the Senate parliamentarian.
The parliamentarian, who heads the Senate’s parliamentarian office, is a nonpartisan, unelected role appointed by the Senate majority leader. It does not have a fixed term.
ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough will be advising Senate Republicans on President Donald Trump’s «big, beautiful bill.» (Getty Images/Reuters)
The person’s role is to advise the Senate and its staff on the chamber’s rules and precedent. The normally low-profile role has been thrust into the spotlight several times in congressional history, however, particularly surrounding reconciliation.
«At the end of the day, it really is a judgment call. And sometimes you’re making a judgment call where you’re relying on similar situations or maybe analogous situations where we dealt with reconciliation in the past, maybe other times you’re dealing with a completely novel issue, and you’re having to figure it out,» one former senior Senate aide described to Fox News Digital.
«Or maybe, and this happens a lot, people are trying get things through, debating or citing past provisions of previous reconciliation bills…saying ‘Hey, this provision is very similar, and this got through.’»
The Senate parliamentarian leads the «Byrd bath,» a key part of the reconciliation process where the legislation is carefully examined, and any measures found not relevant to the contours of reconciliation are stripped out.
Notably, progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., called for the firing of the Senate parliamentarian in 2021 when she forced Senate Democrats to scuttle their $15 per hour minimum wage effort from their reconciliation bill at the time.
That same parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who was appointed by the late former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is still serving today and has largely garnered bipartisan respect for her handling of the role.
Congressional Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process. (Fox News Digital)
MacDonough, appointed in 2012, is the first woman in the job. She was a part of the parliamentarian’s office before that and briefly served as an attorney in the Department of Justice, according to NPR.
«I would say that this particular parliamentarian sees herself more as, almost an administrative law judge, and I think that she has generally viewed some of the things that the Senate has been allowed to get away with in reconciliation as a departure from precedent,» said Paul Winfree, president of the Economic Policy Innovation Center and a former Senate Budget Committee staffer himself, told Fox News Digital.
«I think that she has more of a ‘small-c’ conservative approach to what is allowable. At the same time, a lot of what is considered to be allowable under reconciliation is dependent on estimates that are produced by the Congressional Budget Office or the joint tax committee.»
When asked if any of the current public reconciliation plans could face issues with the parliamentarian, both people who spoke with Fox News Digital floated an accounting maneuver that would largely obscure the cost of permanently extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
That scoring method, known as current policy baseline, would zero out the cost of extending the 2017 tax cuts by measuring it as an extension of the current economic conditions, rather than factoring in how much less the government is taking in via tax revenues with the cuts in effect.
Senate Republicans have signaled they believe they have the legal basis for moving forward with that calculation, however, without the parliamentarian’s say.
«We think the law is very clear, and ultimately the budget committee chairman makes that determination,» Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters last month.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASE TAX PLAN FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’
Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune said Republicans can use the current policy baseline for scoring tax cuts. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The Senate GOP aide who spoke with Fox News Digital said, «If that were to have fallen out or just, you didn’t know what was going to happen, that would just affect so many provisions in the bill.»
«Because all of a sudden, you know, all these things start scoring [as an increase to the deficit]…and things become more problematic with your instructions,» the former aide said.
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Winfree, however, said Republicans have appeared to be mindful overall with how they have written the text so far.
«They’ve actually been pretty conservative in how they’ve approached the language,» he said.
He said it was «possible some of the immigration provisions could get a second look,» but that even then, he believed it would «ultimately be okay.»
Republican leaders have said they hope to have a bill on Trump’s desk by Fourth of July.
Fox News Digital reached out to the current Senate Majority Leader’s office for comment.
Senate,Donald Trump,Republicans,Politics
INTERNACIONAL
«La guerra terminó, Bibi»: paso a paso, los detalles del acuerdo en Gaza, relatados por un negociador clave
Los intercambios con el enviado estadounidense
Trabajadores de Defensa Civil llevan el cuerpo de un palestino sin identificar, muerto bajo los bombardeos de Israel, en Deir al-Balah, Gaza. Foto: EFE «No podemos firmar esto»
Los cinco puntos de los israelíes:
Personal médico reza frente a los cuerpos de palestinos entregados por Israel tras el acuerdo de alto el fuego, en Khan Younis, Franja de Gaza, este miércoles. Foto: AP «Tenemos un plan»
Homenaje en el sur de Israel a un militar muerto en el ataque de Hamas al kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, el 7 de octubre de 2023, y cuyo cuerpo fue devuelto días atrás, luego del alto el fuego. Foto: REUTERS INTERNACIONAL
Ongoing government shutdown threatens holiday travel as pilots rally for lawmakers to reach an agreement
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A pilots association jumped into the government shutdown fray Wednesday, calling on U.S. lawmakers to pass a «clean continuing resolution» and reopen the government, citing the mounting strain the shutdown has placed on airport employees.
«Our air traffic controllers and the broader air traffic system are already operating under immense pressure — a government shutdown only compounds that stress and threatens the efficiency of our skies as we see the impact of reduced controller availability at facilities across the country,» Jody Reven, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, wrote in a Wednesday statement.
«Likewise, TSA professionals continue to show up every day to safeguard the traveling public, even without pay. These men and women deserve our full support and the certainty of a paycheck,» he continued.
The government shutdown has persisted since Oct. 1, when Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement before a midnight deadline. The Trump administration and Republicans have since pinned blame for the shutdown on Democrats, claiming they sought taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants.
NOEM AIRS CLIP BLASTING DEMOCRATS FOR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AT EVERY AIRPORT IN AMERICA
Pilots associations are calling on U.S. lawmakers to reach a funding agreement to reopen the government as holiday travel looms. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images)
Democrats, however, have denied the claims and pinned blame for the shutdown on their Republican colleagues.
The shutdown has led to delays at massive travel hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark, New Jersey, as air traffic controllers — who are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration — suffer staffing shortages.
Reven’s statement comes as travelers gear up for holiday flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with a White House official telling Fox News Digital that as the shutdown continues, it «threatens to ruin the holidays.» The 2025 holiday season is expected to break travel records as Americans book trips at a higher pace than 2024, travel forecasters reported in October.
«There is no reason the Democrat shutdown should have ever happened, let alone last this long,» the official said. «But the longer it goes on, the more it threatens to ruin the holidays, not only for the Americans missing paychecks but also for every American that travels during the holidays.»
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association’s press release specifically called on lawmakers to pass a budget as the nation’s entire National Airspace System depends on it.
TRUMP’S WEEK IN REVIEW: SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWNS AND ARMED CARTEL CONFLICT
President Donald Trump said the government shutdown that took effect Oct. 1, 2025, will likely include mass layoffs and program cuts. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
«Pass a clean Continuing Resolution, return to Washington, and work in a bipartisan manner to address the challenges each side is so passionate about,» it stated. «Our National Airspace System, the workers that support it, and the traveling public depend on it.»
When approached for comment on the statement, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers demanded Democrats «stop causing chaos.»
«Democrats say that every day of the shut down gets better and that they want to use suffering families as leverage to achieve their radical left-wing agenda — but the people they’re using as ‘leverage’ disagree,» Rogers said. «From pilots to flight attendants and air traffic controllers, their message is simple: the Democrats need to stop causing chaos and end the shutdown.»
The Air Line Pilots Association, the world’s largest airline pilot union, also called on lawmakers to reopen the government earlier in October.
«The job of keeping aviation safe and secure is tough on an easy day, but forcing them to do it without pay undermines the safety and security of our entire system,» Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in a statement Oct. 15. «We are at a critical moment in aviation safety, and we need our leaders to be focused on the necessary infrastructure and staffing improvements.»
WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREATENING AIR TRAVEL, A GOP BILL SEEKS TO KEEP FLIGHTS RUNNING
President Donald Trump accused Senate Democrats of «holding the entire federal government hostage.» (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump accused Senate Democrats of «holding the entire federal government hostage» Tuesday while demanding the government reopen by passing a «clean, bipartisan CR.»
«They are the obstructionists,» he said. «And the reason they’re doing it is because we’re doing so well. We’re doing well all over the world.»
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., reached out to Trump to request a meeting to negotiate an end to the shutdown.
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«Hakeem and I reached out to the president today and urged him to sit down and negotiate with us to resolve the healthcare crisis, address it and end the Trump shutdown,» Schumer said. «He should sit — the things get worse every day for the American people. He should sit down with us, negotiate in a serious way before he goes away.»
Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
travel,donald trump,government shutdown,democrats senate
INTERNACIONAL
El Parlamento israelí avanza en un proyecto de anexión de Cisjordania bajo una fuerte condena palestina
El Parlamento israelí (Knéset) aprobó este miércoles, en una lectura preliminar con 25 votos a favor y 24 en contra, una propuesta para anexionar el territorio palestino ocupado de Cisjordania.
“El proyecto de ley para aplicar la soberanía a los territorios de Judea y Samaria (como llama Israel al territorio palestino) fue aprobado en lectura preliminar por una mayoría de 25 a favor y 24 en contra”, detalló la Knéset en su cuenta en X.
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Este primer paso precede a otras tres votaciones que serán necesarias en el Parlamento para convertir este proyecto en ley. El proyecto sostiene que “el Estado de Israel aplicará sus leyes y soberanía a las zonas de asentamiento en Judea y Samaria, para establecer el estatus de estas áreas como parte inseparable del Estado soberano de Israel”.
La iniciativa generó una fuerte condena de la Autoridad Nacional Palestina (ANP), que gobierna en algunas zonas del enclave, y del grupo islámico Hamas.
“Gran Israel”
El parlamentario Avio Maoz, líder del partido Noam, es el impulsor de esta ley. Durante la sesión parlamentaria, declaró que “el Señor, bendito sea, dio al pueblo de Israel la Tierra de Israel”, en una alusión al ‘Gran Israel’ que borra del mapa los territorios palestinos.
Esta votación preliminar coincide con la visita en Israel del vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, quien supervisa el plan del alto el fuego en Gaza junto al primer ministro israelí, Benjamín Netanyahu, y altos cargos militares. Un hombre lleva una bandera palestina frente a tres soldados israelíes cerca de Nablus, en Cisjordania (Foto: EFE)
“Ha llegado el momento de aplicar la soberanía plena sobre todos los territorios de Judea y Samaria (Cisjordania) la herencia de nuestros antepasados, y de promover acuerdos de paz a cambio de paz con nuestros vecinos desde una posición de fortaleza”, celebró en X el ministro de Finanzas, el ultraderechista y colono, Bezalel Smotrich.
El ministro de Seguridad Nacional, Itamar Ben Gvir, también de extrema derecha y colono, escribió en su cuenta de X: “¡Ha llegado el momento de la soberanía ahora!”.
Leé también: Israel aseguró que lanzó “153 toneladas de bombas” en Gaza y acusó a Hamas de incumplir el cese el fuego
Ambos ministros ya exigieron a mediados de septiembre al primer ministro israelí, Benjamín Netanyahu, la anexión de la Cisjordania en respuesta al reconocimiento del Estado palestino por parte de más de una decena de países, entre ellos Reino Unido, Canadá y Australia.
Palestina no cuenta con continuidad territorial, y mientras en Gaza gobernaba la rama política de Hamás, en Cisjordania permanece la Autoridad Nacional Palestina (ANP), encabezada por Mahmud Abás.
E la mayor parte de esta zona (la denominada Área C que equivale al 60 % del territorio). Israel posee tanto control militar como civil desde los Acuerdos de Oslo.
Además, existen cientos de puestos de control militares israelíes a lo largo de toda Cisjordania, y un sistema de permisos que no permite el libre movimiento de los palestinos entre ciudades.
Fuerte condena palestina
La organización islamista Hamas consideró que el proyecto de anexión es “nulo, sin valor e ilegítimo”.
“Afirmamos que los frenéticos intentos de la ocupación por anexionar las tierras de Cisjordania son nulos, sin valor e ilegítimos. No cambiarán el hecho de que Cisjordania es tierra palestina en virtud de la historia, el derecho internacional y la opinión consultiva emitida por la Corte Internacional de Justicia en 2024”, afirmó un comunicado.
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En tanto, el ministerio de Exteriores palestino aseguró que Israel “no tendrá ninguna soberanía” sobre Cisjordania. En un comunicado, difundido en su cuenta de X, reiteró que “la tierra palestina ocupada en Cisjordania, incluida Jerusalén, y la Franja de Gaza, constituyen una unidad geográfica única sobre la cual Israel no tiene soberanía, y que la soberanía pertenece exclusivamente al pueblo palestino”.
La Corte Internacional de Justicia emplaza a Israel
Por otra parte, la Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) advirtió que Israel no fundamentó los vínculos que asegura que la Agencia de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados de Palestina en Oriente Próximo (UNRWA) tiene con Hamas y pidió al gobierno de Netanyahu cumplir con su obligación de aceptar y facilitar los planes de ayuda a Gaza proporcionados por la ONU. Según afirmó Israel no debe usar el hambre como método de guerra.
El tribunal consideró que el impedimento sustancial por parte de Israel al acceso de ayuda humanitaria a Gaza durante un periodo significativo de tiempo ha tenido consecuencias catastróficas para la población civil en la Franja.
La población local de la Franja de Gaza ha sido abastecida de forma insuficiente. En tal situación, Israel, como potencia ocupante, tiene la obligación de aceptar y facilitar los planes de ayuda, advirtió el presidente de la CIJ, el juez japonés Yuji Iwasawa, durante la lectura de la decisión del tribunal.
Israel tiene la obligación, añadió, de garantizar las necesidades básicas de la población local, incluidos los suministros esenciales para su supervivencia.
(Con información de EFE)
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