Trump Urges Senate GOP to Eliminate Filibuster to End Shutdown

President Donald Trump on Oct. 30 called on Republican lawmakers to eliminate the filibuster to bring an end to the government shutdown that has stalled federal funding for several agencies for more than 30 days.

The filibuster is a procedural tactic used to block legislation from advancing. It can “prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question,” according to the U.S Senate.

Filibusters on most legislation can be ended only if at least 60 senators, or three-fifths of all sworn-in members, vote to invoke cloture.

Republicans currently hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate and a 219–213 majority in the House of Representatives.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that while returning from his trip to Asia, he found himself wondering why Republicans were allowing Democrats to shut down the government.

He said that Republicans could invoke the “nuclear option,” which refers to a legislative procedure that allows the Senate to bypass the filibuster, to stop the government shutdown from continuing.

“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.

Trump noted that Democrats had previously tried to end the filibuster during the Biden administration “because they knew the tremendous strength that terminating the Filibuster would give them.”

The effort failed due to opposition from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who later became independents.

The president noted that Democrats would likely eliminate the filibuster if they return to power and urged Republican lawmakers to seize the opportunity of holding a majority to act now.

“Well, now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN’,” the president said.

“If the Democrats ever came back into power, which would be made easier for them if the Republicans are not using the Great Strength and Policies made available to us by ending the Filibuster, the Democrats will exercise their rights, and it will be done in the first day they take office, regardless of whether or not we do it.”

The government shutdown entered its 30th day on Oct. 30, as efforts to resolve the impasse failed. The Senate on Oct. 28 again rejected a Republican-backed stopgap funding measure, which failed to secure the 60 votes required for passage.

Senate Republicans had urged Democrats to support a stopgap funding measure, but Democrats demanded negotiations to extend expiring federal tax credits.

It remains unclear whether Senate Republicans would have enough support to end the filibuster. Some Republican lawmakers have voiced skepticism.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told reporters on Oct. 23 that invoking the nuclear option would be a mistake, while Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said there had been “no support on my side of the aisle to end the filibuster.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters on Oct. 23 that she is a “strong supporter of the filibuster” but is willing to “look at any plan that anyone puts out” to reopen the government.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who broke with his party to support the GOP-led continuing resolution, has called on his colleagues to rethink the filibuster as the lapse in funding drags on.

“Government can’t work that way, and it has to be carved out of the filibuster,” he told reporters on Oct. 21, suggesting that such a move would make government shutdowns “virtually impossible in the future.”

Nathan Worcester and Reuters contributed to this report.