Senate Parliamentarian Removes Gun Deregulation, School Voucher Provisions From Trump Tax Bill

The Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, has struck down several key provisions from President Donald Trump's sweeping tax reconciliation bill, including efforts to deregulate gun silencers, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns under the National Firearms Act. These provisions were deemed unrelated to the budget reconciliation process and thus failed to meet the Byrd Rule, requiring 60 votes to pass rather than a simple majority. The bill also included a controversial exemption for certain religious schools like Hillsdale College from an income tax on their endowments, which the parliamentarian rejected. Republicans had aimed to leverage the reconciliation process to expedite these changes, including easing gun regulations and altering tax rules benefiting wealthy religious institutions, but Democrats, led by Senator Jeff Merkley, have actively opposed these measures as violations of Senate rules. Gun rights groups expressed disappointment but indicated plans to pursue alternative legislative strategies. Overall, the parliamentarian's rulings represent a significant setback for the GOP's aggressive agenda embedded in Trump's tax package, forcing them to reconsider or rewrite parts of the bill to comply with procedural requirements.