Senate Parliamentarian Blocks CFPB Defunding Push

Senate Republicans seeking to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through a special budget measure were blocked this week, as the Senate parliamentarian ruled the effort out of bounds under the Byrd Rule. The decision forces the provision out of the budget reconciliation process and would require 60 votes to proceed, effectively ending its path forward in the current legislative package.

The proposal was part of the Trump administration’s sweeping “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which aimed to slash funding to the CFPB by reducing its budget authority to 0% of the Federal Reserve’s operating expenses, a move that would effectively shutter the agency. The parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, found that the provision violated Senate rules governing what can be included in a reconciliation bill, which is reserved for budgetary items.

“There are rules that must be followed,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.

What Is The Byrd Rule And Who Is The Parliamentarian?

The Byrd Rule, named after former Senator Robert Byrd, limits what types of provisions can be included in a reconciliation bill. While reconciliation bills are not subject to the filibuster and require only a simple majority, they must focus only on budgetary matters. The rule blocks “extraneous” items, including provisions where budgetary effects are effectively policy changes.

The Senate parliamentarian determines which provisions meet that test. Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan official who has held the position since 2012, provides procedural advice to lawmakers and the presiding officer. While her rulings are technically advisory, they are almost always followed to maintain consistency and avoid procedural chaos.

In this case, MacDonough found that by setting CFPB funding to 0%, it was effectively eliminating the CFPB as an organization and did not qualify as a budgetary provision under the reconciliation rules. 

Earlier Attempts To End The CFPB

The failed attempt to eliminate the agency through reconciliation is not the Trump administration’s only effort to downsize the CFPB. In April, the administration moved to fire roughly 90 percent of the bureau’s workforce, prompting a federal judge to block the action temporarily.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court in Washington ruled that the layoffs could not proceed without a clear legal basis. During a hearing, she expressed concern that the administration was dismantling the bureau without meeting its statutory obligations.

The layoffs would have reduced the CFPB to just 200 employees, a move critics say would effectively end the agency and prevent it from doing it’s job. The administration claims that the smaller agency could still meet its legal mandates.

What Happens Next?

With the parliamentarian’s ruling, Republicans must either remove the CFPB defunding language from the reconciliation package or attempt to pass it through regular order, which would require 60 votes. With a narrow Republican majority, that path is unlikely.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has so far indicated he will not attempt to override the parliamentarian’s decision by setting a new precedent, a move that would allow the chamber to ignore the Byrd Rule.

The federal court case over the CFPB layoffs is scheduled to continue, with a follow-up hearing planned to determine whether the administration complied with prior court directives.

The CFPB, created as part of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, remains one of the most significant pieces of financial regulation in recent history. But its survival now rests on legal challenges and Senate procedures, with Democrats signaling they will fight any further attempts to dismantle the agency.

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