The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

How the Senate parliamentarian could make or break Democrats’ spending bill

Analysis by
Staff writer
Updated September 30, 2021 at 7:48 a.m. EDT|Published September 20, 2021 at 9:54 a.m. EDT
The Senate parliamentarian serves as a check on rules and precedents. But recent partisan fights over policy have put the parliamentarian in the spotlight. (Video: Blair Guild/The Washington Post)

Can Democrats put a path to citizenship for dreamers in a budget bill? Can they provide universal prekindergarten? Paid family leave?

Answering those questions is the job of little-known staffer in the Senate, the parliamentarian. And her reading of Senate rules is having major policy implications for Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending bill. Here’s who she is and what role she will play in the reconciliation process.