THE BYRD RULE
CALL SENATORS NOW
AND REMIND THEM TO FOLLOW THE
SENATE'S BYRD RULE
Congress SHOULD NOT sneak
non-budget items into budget bills.
HERE ARE THE TALKING POINTS:
DON'T SNEAK ANY NON-BUDGET ITEMS
INTO THE BUDGET BILL.
DO NOT CUT MEDICAID!!
Illinois Senator Richard Durbin
Washington office - 202-224-2152
Chicago office - 312-353-4952
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth
Washington office - (202) 224-2854
Chicago office - (312) 886-3506
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley
111 South 10th Street, Suite 23.360
St. Louis, MO 63102
Office: 314-354-7060
381 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Office: 202-224-6154
Maine Senator Susan Collins
200 Middle Street, Suite 801
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 618-5560
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski
510 L Street
Suite 600
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 271-3735
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202)-224-6665
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran
100 North Broadway, Suite 210
Wichita, KS 67202
Phone: (316) 269-9257
521 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6521
Republican Senators
who are concerned about Medicaid cuts
Illinois Senators
Despite Republican promises to leave Medicare intact, the bill will trigger over $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare due to “PAYGO”, a budget rule that requires any reduction in revenue to be offset by cuts in other areas of the budget.
We must demand a budget that preserves Medicaid and Medicare coverage and benefits all Americans, not just the ultra-rich.
The Byrd Rule was named after Senator Robert C. Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia.
Senator Byrd was a long-serving member of the U.S. Senate and a staunch defender of Senate rules and procedures. The Byrd Rule, established in 1985, governs the reconciliation process in the Senate. It limits what kinds of provisions can be included in a reconciliation bill—specifically barring "extraneous" provisions that don't directly affect the federal budget.
The purpose of the rule is to preserve the integrity of the budget process and prevent the use of reconciliation (which only requires a simple majority to pass) for unrelated or controversial policy changes.
🦅 The Byrd Rule – Made Easy
The Byrd Rule is a special rule in the U.S. Senate. It limits what can go into a fast-track budget bill called a reconciliation bill — which only needs 51 votes to pass (instead of the usual 60 to beat a filibuster).
🔍 What the Byrd Rule Does
It stops Congress from sneaking non-budget stuff into budget bills.
That means:
✅ Money stuff (like taxes or spending) is OK
❌ Policy stuff (like rules about healthcare, immigration, or civil rights) usually is not allowed
🚫 A Provision Violates the Byrd Rule If It:
-
Doesn’t change federal spending or revenue
-
Adds to the deficit beyond 10 years
-
Is mainly about policy, not money
-
Tries to change Social Security (not allowed in reconciliation)
-
Has a tiny budget effect but is really about something else
⚖️ Who Enforces It?
-
The Senate Parliamentarian reviews the bill and gives an opinion
-
But a provision is only removed if a Senator objects during debate
-
It takes 60 votes to keep a provision that breaks the rule — otherwise, it’s stripped out
💡 Medicaid Example: The "Big Beautiful Bill"
Let’s say a bill tries to:
-
Ban Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care
-
Punish states for covering undocumented immigrants
-
Add work requirements for Medicaid
If these parts don’t have a big enough budget impact, they’re considered policy — not budget — and can be removed under the Byrd Rule.