Abandoning the Regular Order

Abstract

There is a debate about the extent of the Senate majority party’s influence and the conditions under which it is used. This article demonstrates that the majority party influences legislative outcomes to meet electoral goals and protect its reputation by manipulating the consideration of the dozen annual appropriations bills. The majority party limits amendments and eases passage of the budget when it abandons the “regular order” and creates an omnibus appropriations bill. It is more likely to abandon the regular order when it is ideologically divided, has a small margin of control, or is distant from the minority.