Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, told reporters Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, should remove Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, arguing she has blocked Republican priorities under the budget reconciliation process.
Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump called on Thune to fire MacDonough in a post on Truth Social, writing: “Majority Leader John Thune has the right to do it, immediately. FIRE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN NOW!”
Steube said, “Yes, 1,000%. That should happen,” when asked whether MacDonough, who advises senators on chamber rules and determines compliance with the Byrd Rule governing reconciliation bills, should be fired.
“I’ve been calling on Sen. Thune to do that since October of last year,” Steube added.
Steube criticized MacDonough for removing conservative provisions from Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill,” claiming she acted based on policy considerations.
“She was appointed by Harry Reid decades ago,” Steube said.
“Thune has the absolute authority to remove her and replace her with somebody else. He should have done it right when he took office.”
MacDonough, who was appointed Senate parliamentarian in 2012 by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, serves as the chamber’s chief adviser on procedural matters and interprets its rules.
Republicans have increasingly criticized MacDonough after she ruled that several provisions sought by the GOP could not be included in legislation advanced through the budget reconciliation process due to rule violations.
Reconciliation allows certain budget-related bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes typically needed for a filibuster.
Steube argued that MacDonough’s rulings have slowed the Republican agenda despite the party controlling the Senate. “It’s stalling a lot of the things that we as Republicans are trying to do through reconciliation by having a Democrat parliamentarian — one person who’s not elected who gets to decide what policy stays in a bill or gets taken out of a bill,” he said.
Thune has not indicated plans to replace MacDonough. Previous Senate leaders from both parties have generally retained parliamentarians across changes in party control, though the position is at the pleasure of the majority leader.
The debate over MacDonough’s role comes as Republicans continue to rely on reconciliation to advance key legislative priorities while navigating Senate procedural rules.
