Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough just dropped a procedural bombshell on a GOP megabill meant to turbocharge President Trump’s agenda.
According to The Hill, MacDonough’s rulings have sidelined key provisions aimed at fast-tracking offshore oil and gas projects, alongside other environmental policies, handing Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) a frustrating setback while giving Democrats a rare win in the procedural trenches.
Let’s break this down: MacDonough, the Senate’s rule-keeper, took a hard look at this sprawling Republican bill and said, “Not so fast.” She specifically rejected a measure that would have given offshore oil and gas projects a free pass on environmental reviews by deeming them compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act. That’s a big blow to energy independence goals, plain and simple.
Next up, she nixed a subsection forcing offshore oil and gas leases to be issued within 90 days of a sale. If you’re rooting for American energy dominance, this feels like a bureaucratic gut punch.
MacDonough didn’t stop there—she also shot down a mandate for the Interior Secretary to greenlight the 211-mile Ambler Road in northern Alaska, a project meant to open up access to major mining operations. For conservatives who see resource development as a path to jobs and security, this ruling stings.
Adding insult to injury, the parliamentarian rejected a section pushing the sale of millions of acres of federal land by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. It’s hard not to see this as a win for the environmental lobby over rural communities that could benefit from such sales.
Here’s the kicker: MacDonough ruled that these provisions violate the Senate’s Byrd Rule, meaning they can’t pass with a simple majority and need 60 votes to survive any objection. For a GOP trying to deliver on bold promises, scraping together that kind of bipartisan support feels like climbing Everest in flip-flops.
She also aimed a subsection stripping the Interior Secretary’s ability to cut fees for wind and solar projects on federal land. While some might cheer prioritizing fossil fuels over renewables, this rejection keeps the playing field tilted toward progressive energy priorities.
MacDonough further declined to approve sections mandating yearly geothermal lease sales and altering geothermal royalty calculations. It’s another missed opportunity to streamline energy development without endless red tape.
Now, not everything is set in stone—MacDonough is still mulling over several Alaska-specific environmental measures in the bill. One section under review would funnel 90 percent of oil and gas lease revenue from Cook Inlet to Alaska starting in 2035. That could be a lifeline for the state’s economy if it survives scrutiny.
She’s also expected to rule on language requiring oil and gas lease sales in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. For those of us who believe in tapping domestic resources, the wait for her decision feels like an eternity.
Meanwhile, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is crowing about this as a procedural triumph for Democrats. “Democrats continue to show up and fight every provision of this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a bill,” he said in a statement. Well, Senator, some might call it betrayal to block American energy and jobs, but let’s keep the debate civil.
Merkley didn’t stop there, adding, “Democrats will not stand idly by while Republicans attempt to circumvent the rules of reconciliation.”
Fair enough, but one wonders if this zeal for rules would apply if the shoe were on the other foot with a progressive pet project.
He capped it off with a promise: “We will make sure the Byrd Rule is followed.” Admirable commitment to process, Senator, though many Americans might prefer a commitment to results over gridlock.
