06.26.2025 / Statement

After Multiple Byrd Rule Violations, Senate Should Stop the Rush to Rewrite and Remake Health System Over a Weekend

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, today released the following statement after the Senate parliamentarian issued her ruling and found Byrd rule violations for several provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that would terminate health care coverage for 16 million Americans and drive up costs for millions more.

“The Senate parliamentarian ruled that several of the harmful provisions of Senate Republicans’ big budget bill don’t comply with reconciliation rules. The response by the Senate should be to slow down rather than rush to rewrite their remake of the health system and try to jam it through a vote this weekend without hearings on the impacts. From the beginning, this budget bill process has been a sham, crafted behind closed doors, marked up in marathon sessions overnight and voted on with little understanding by Congressmembers of how it will harm their constituents. Even though the parliamentarian flagged several sections Senators tried to sneak through, we know that the remaining bill will still push or price out millions of health care consumers from their coverage, and millions more will face higher costs and reduced services and access to the care they need. Americans voted for affordability, not the slashing of our health care system and social safety net. Today’s rulings provide a pivot point for Congress to punt on this unpopular proposal and to go back to the drawing board and work on commonsense, bipartisan solutions to lower health care costs for families.”