[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8791]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, in the U.S. Senate, it is the 
Parliamentarian's office that determines whether a reconciliation bill 
is in compliance with the rules of the Senate. That is not the function 
of the chairman of the Budget Committee. If it were, we could save 
taxpayers' money and get rid of the Parliamentarian's office, but that 
is not what we should be doing.
  I am extremely concerned, therefore, that the chairman of the Budget 
Committee, in an apparently unprecedented manner, appears to have made 
that determination himself with regard to the Trump-Ryan healthcare 
bill that was passed several weeks ago in the House. As I understand 
it, the Parliamentarian has made a narrow ruling with respect to the 
jurisdiction of a provision in this bill that would eliminate 
healthcare subsidies for low-income Native Americans.
  I look forward to hearing from the Parliamentarian as soon as 
possible on the broader ruling on whether the Trump-Ryan healthcare 
bill is in compliance with the instructions contained in the budget 
resolution requiring this bill to save at least $1 billion in the HELP 
Committee and at least $1 billion within the Finance Committee.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Tillis). The Senator from Oregon.

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