Definition
A legislative process allowing the Senate to pass certain bills with only a simple 51-vote majority (instead of 60 votes needed for most bills). It's how the majority party gets around the filibuster.
Example Usage
The party used budget reconciliation to pass the tax cut bill without a single vote from the opposing party.
Origin
From 'reconcile' (to resolve differences), referring to reconciling budget differences between chambers.
Fun Fact
Budget reconciliation was intended to be a narrow process for technical budget adjustments, but has become a major legislative tool for partisan bills.
Source: Congressional budget process documentation and Senate rules
Related Terms
Translate This Term
See “Budget Reconciliation” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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