The Byrd Rule, adopted in 1985, is a procedural constraint named after the late Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia to prohibit “extraneous” provisions from being tacked onto reconciliation bills, which are fast-tracked budget packages that allow legislation to pass with a simple majority, bypassing the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Provisions related to food aid and the consumer-protection agency are set to get dropped from the final bill after “Byrd bath.”

The U.S. Senate parliamentarian revealed on Sunday that a significant portion of the 2026 budget, known as "the big, beautiful bill," will require 60 votes to pass. Republicans had hoped to use the reconciliation process to side-step a filibuster,