0 1 5 ▁package ▁from ▁consideration ▁as ▁a ▁recon c ili ation ▁bill ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁under ▁the ▁By rd ▁Rule , ▁which ▁requires ▁that ▁recon c ili ation ▁b ills ▁must ▁have ▁a ▁budget ary ▁effect . ▁R ather ▁than ▁the ▁simple , ▁fil ib uster - free ▁ 5 1 - vote ▁majority ▁required ▁to ▁pass ▁a ▁recon c ili ation ▁bill , ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁package ▁would ▁require ▁a ▁ 6 0 - vote ▁threshold ▁to ▁pass ▁in ▁the ▁Senate , ▁which ▁effectively ▁killed ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁the ▁Senate , ▁as ▁Republic ans ▁did ▁not ▁hold ▁the ▁requ is ite ▁votes . ▁Sen . ▁Ted ▁Cruz ▁( R - TX ) ▁commented ▁Mac Don ough ▁should ▁be ▁fired ▁or ▁ignored , ▁although ▁since ▁the ▁proced ural ▁r ul ings ▁are ▁officially ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁( in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁then - V ice ▁President ▁Joe ▁B iden ), ▁firing ▁Mac Don ough ▁would ▁have ▁made ▁no ▁difference , ▁and ▁Sen . ▁John ▁Corn yn ▁( R - TX ), ▁the ▁senior ▁sen ator ▁from ▁Texas , ▁dismiss ed ▁Cruz ' s ▁comments , ▁saying ▁ou st ing ▁Mac Don ough ▁would ▁be ▁" like ▁firing ▁the ▁judge ▁if ▁you ▁disag ree ▁with ▁his ▁r uling ." ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁Tax ▁C uts ▁and ▁Job s ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁Mac Don ough ▁ruled ▁the ▁repe al ▁of ▁the ▁Johnson ▁Am end