Republicans not ready to go ‘nuclear’ on filibuster despite Trump’s demands

President Donald Trump wants Senate Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster, but it’s a demand that puts his desire for a quick fix to end the shutdown with the GOP’s long-held filibuster defense.

The filibuster in the Senate is the 60-vote threshold that applies to most bills in the upper chamber, and given the nature of the slim majorities both parties have had in recent years, that means legislation often has to be bipartisan to advance.

It has also proven to be the main obstacle to reopening the government. Although Republicans control the upper chamber, they have routinely fallen short by a handful of votes in their 13 attempts to end the shutdown.

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Three members of the Democratic caucus have left Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Y) and his colleagues to reopen the government, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) needs five more to reach the magic number.

Trump said in a late-night Truth Social post that on his return trip from Asia, he thought hard about why the government was shut down even though Republicans were in control. His solution was for Senate Republicans to “play their ‘LAMB CARDS’ and opt for the so-called Nuclear Option.”

“Get rid of the filibuster and get rid of it NOW,” Trump said.

Senate Republicans have already gone nuclear this year to unilaterally change the rules to break Schumer and Democrats’ blockade of Trump’s nominees. But for many Senate Republicans, including Thune and his leadership team, nuking the filibuster is a proverbial third way.

TRUMP CALLED GOP TO ‘END THE SHUTDOWN’ BY TAKING NUCLEAR ACTION IN THE SENATE FILIBUSTER

Senate Republicans are eager to pass “shotgun” funding bills but are adamant that reopening the government is the best solution. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“As you know, there’s always a lot of eddy from social media etc., but no, we’re not having that conversation,” Thune said earlier this month when asked about the pressure on the filibuster to go nuclear.

And there isn’t much daylight in his feelings from early October until now.

“Leader Thune’s stance on the importance of the legislative filibuster has not changed,” Thune spokesman Ryan Wrasse said in a statement. he said.

Appearing on Fox & Friends earlier this month, Senate Majority Rep. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., shared a similar view with Thune when asked if eliminating the filibuster was being considered.

“No, that won’t be the case,” he said. “There are no Republicans who want to support this.”

SENATE GOP RESISTS ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ AS DEM SHUTDOWN COMPROMISE DEEPENS

Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY), are not ready to back down from their shutdown positions just yet as the fight approaches its fourth week. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The filibuster has come under fire from Senate Democrats over the past decade; This is a point Trump made in his lengthy message.

The filibuster was last tested in 2022, when Democrats controlled the Senate. Schumer, the majority leader at the time, tried to change the “talking filibuster” rules to pass voting rights legislation.

But then the Sens’ effort fizzled out. Joe Manchin, D.W.Va. and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., joined Republicans in blocking the amendment. Both have since retired from the Senate and become independents.

Still, while the deadlock in the Senate shows no signs of breaking as the shutdown looms into November, bipartisan talks among rank-and-file members are picking up as federal food aid careers head toward a weekend funding cliff.

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Across the house, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) warned against turning to the nuclear option for fraud, even as a handful of Republicans called for the safeguard to be removed.

“Look, I’ll say this broadly, as I’ve said many times about the filibuster, it’s not my decision. I have no say in the matter. This is a Senate chamber matter,” Johnson said. “But thuggery has traditionally been seen as a very important protection. I don’t think our team would like it if the shoe was on the other foot.”