by Damjan Tutarkov
LaCorte News
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is trying to use a little-known Senate policy to pass President Biden’s latest spending bill.
Aides for the New York Democrat have reportedly reached out to the Senate Parliamentarian — the official overseeing Senate rules and rules related to legislative procedures — arguing they are allowed to pass another, multi-trillion-dollar legislation by invoking Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act, Fox News reported.
“Schumer wants to maximize his options to allow Senate Democrats multiple pathways to advance President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda if Senate Republicans try to obstruct or water down a bipartisan agreement,” an aide for Schumer said in a statement.
The tactic, which allowed Democrats to pass Biden’s massive $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, will allow Democratic lawmakers to bypass the required 60 votes and approve the latest spending legislation with a simple majority of 50 votes, where Vice President Kamala Harris would be the deciding vote, according to the report.