Skip to content

How does budget reconciliation work?

How this parliamentary tool skirts the Senate “cooling saucer”

House committees are busy preparing reconciliation bills that can skate through Congress. This round, the goal is to get a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Budget reconciliation is a parliamentary tool that would allow the package to pass in the Senate with just a simple majority, bypassing that chamber’s usual 60-vote threshold to end debate.

But how does this process work, and why can Congress do it at all? Watch as we explain.

[Read more: The cooling saucer and other Senate hooey]

Recent Stories

Judge blocks grand jury subpoena in Jerome Powell investigation

Plodding Hill — Congressional Hits and Misses

Trump told MAGA supporters that ‘we won’ in Iran. They were silent

Capitol Ink | Dire strait

Photos of the week | March 5-12, 2026

SPR drawdown might not be enough for consumers, Democrats say