Chuck Schumer scores major win that will allow Democrats to bypass GOP obstruction

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Monday announced the Senate Parliamentarian had issued a ruling that will allow Democrats to sidestep the filibuster again in 2021.

Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan without any GOP support by using a process known as reconciliation. Under the process, the filibuster is not applicable.

However, there are significant limits as to what can be included in the bill, as was on display earlier this year when the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour could occur under reconciliation.

Schumer had asked the Parliamentarian to rule whether it was applicable to "amend" a budget via additional reconciliation legislation. The Parliamentarian ruled that could occur, opening the door for Democrats to pass Biden's American Jobs Plan, his infrastructure bill, without the GOP able to block it via the filibuster.

"A potentially very big deal," PBS Newshour correspondent Lis Desjardins tweeted. "Schumer's office confirms that the parliamentarian agrees with him that, essentially Democrats can *amend* a budget resolution and get another shot at passing something using budget reconciliation. They are still working out the plan/effect."

The ruling is only the first step and Dems haven't decided to use reconciliation yet an the Parliamentarian could still potentially rule that individual parts of the bill are out of order if they do.