Senate prepares to scrutinize 'Big Beautiful Bill' as Congress returns to budget work

After a narrow 215–214 vote in the House, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” is now headed to the Senate, where it will face what Capitol Hill insiders call a legislative "birdbath."

As Congress returns from recess, lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol are gearing up for a busy week. The Senate will begin work on the House-passed reconciliation package, while the House turns its attention to the appropriations process for the 2026 fiscal year.

News 9 Washington Correspondent Alex Cameron joined Political Analyst Scott Mitchell for this week’s DC Debrief, breaking down the road ahead for the bill and what it means for Oklahoma and the country.

“This bill has to get what some people here refer to as a ‘birdbath,’” Cameron explained, referencing the Senate’s reconciliation rules. Under the so-called Byrd Rule, named after the late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, any provisions not directly related to budget or deficit reduction must be removed by the Senate parliamentarian.

Several policy measures added to the House version of the bill could face removal, including language related to energy permitting, artificial intelligence regulations, judicial powers, gun laws, and a proposal to defund Planned Parenthood. These elements, Cameron noted, “are more policy than budget,” and may be deemed out of bounds for a reconciliation bill.

While the bill avoids a filibuster due to reconciliation procedures, the Senate majority’s slim margin means negotiations could get complicated, especially if major changes make it difficult for the House to pass the final version again.

“There's been plenty of talk about things they want to change,” Cameron said, “The question is whether they're going to make changes that are so significant that it'll be hard to get this passed through the House again.”