THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION BATTLE IS A PROCEDURAL POWER GRAB

FEW FIGHTS IN Congress are more bitter than fights over Senate procedure. That’s because those disputes are rarely just about the rules. Instead, they are fights about the legitimacy of political power and who gets to wield it.

The latest round of procedural warfare began after Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress and the White House following the 2020 election. Pundits speculated that they might eliminate the legislative filibuster, but they appear to have found another procedural maneuver: reconciliation.

Although Democrats have 50 seats in the