The president said that it’s time for the Senate Republicans to ‘play their Trump Card.’
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.”
