Nervous Republicans weigh their options amid White House's ballroom lobbying blitz

"“And then obviously what happens with the parliamentarian will have a lot to do with how that shakes out, too.” Senate aides will meet with Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough Friday to litigate the portion of the legislation that includes the Secret Service funding, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose private scheduling. Senators generally defer to MacDonough's interpretations of the “Byrd rule,” the restrictions governing what is permissible in a filibuster-skirking budget reconciliation bill."

"Republicans across the Capitol are also keeping their powder dry until after the meeting, known in Hill parlance as a “Byrd bath.” MacDonough ruled Thursday other parts of the bill she had already reviewed did not pass muster, though GOP staff will try to rewrite them in the coming days to comply. “We want to see what the Senate does, because they've ... got the Byrd bath that they have to go through that is not a House process,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said."

"“Right now, I don't think people are passing judgment because they don't know what the final product is going to look like coming from the Senate.” Scalise, asked about the alarm from some of his GOP members about the political optics of public funding for the ballroom, replied, “There's a lot of meetings going on.” “There's a lot of those conversations, but we're in the early stages, because we don't know what the final product is going to look like,” he added."

"Republican leaders are expressing confidence that MacDonough will approve the Secret Service provision, which directs the funding to “security adjustments and upgrades.” But some, including Senate Homeland Security Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.), have predicted the language could come out and are wait"

Majority Leader John Thune linked the outcome of security funding talks to how the parliamentarian rules. Senate aides planned to meet with Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to litigate the portion of legislation covering Secret Service funding. Senators generally defer to MacDonough’s interpretations of the Byrd rule, which governs what can be included in a filibuster-skirting budget reconciliation bill. Republicans are holding off on judgment until after a Byrd bath, when MacDonough reviews whether parts of the bill meet the rule. MacDonough had already ruled some reviewed parts did not pass muster, and GOP staff planned rewrites to comply. House leaders said they were in early stages because the final Senate product was not yet known.

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