Trump urges Republicans to eliminate filibuster as shutdown drags

BY VICTORIA B ISSET The Washington Post

President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to abolish the filibuster to bypass Democratic Party opposition and end the government shutdown that has stretched to a full month, making it one of the longest ever.

"It is now time for the Republicans to play their "TRUMP CARD," and go for what is called the Nuclear Option- Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!" Trump wrote late Thursday in a post on Truth Social.

Republicans and Democrats have traded blame for the federal government shutdown, which began Oct. 1. Senate Democrats have refused to vote on government funding unless Republicans agree to extend Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies that are due to expire at the end of the year, while Republicans have demanded separate talks after the shutdown ends.

Under the rules for the 100-seat Senate, 60 votes are needed to advance most legislation- but, with most controversial legislation passing on party lines, securing enough votes can be challenging. Republicans have 53 seats and Democrats 45; two independents caucus with the Democrats.

To this point, Senate Republicans have not indicated significant willingness to end the filibuster.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) has previously rejected such calls, arguing this month that the rule "is something that makes the Senate the Senate" and "gives the minority a say in what happens in this country." Ryan Wrasse, a spokesman for Thune, said in a statement Friday that the senator's "position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged."

At a news conference Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) described Trump's proposal as "an expression of the president's anger at the situation."

While acknowledging that the issue is one for the Senate and not the House, Johnson stressed that "the filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don't think our team would like it."

Senators can vote to change the body's rules with a simple majority instead of 60 votes - a move known as the "nuclear option." Such a move would probably be needed to eliminate the filibuster. In September, Republicans used the nuclear option to confirm multiple people at once, amid a backlog of 150 Trump nominations awaiting Senate confirmation.

Trump criticized the filibuster in his first term as well; in 2017, he unsuccessfully called for the use of the nuclear option to end it. President Joe Biden also called for the suspension of the filibuster to allow Democrats to pass federal legislation on abortion and voting rights.

Hundreds of thousands of government workers have been furloughed since the shutdown began, while others have been working without pay. But the impacts are expected to be felt more widely from this weekend, when funding for SNAP, the Supple-mental Nutrition Assistance Program commonly known as food stamps, and Head Start, a federal program that funds child care and health and education programs for low-income children, may be paused if the shutdown continues.