Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is continuing to pour cold water on calls to end the filibuster.
Despite pressure from President Donald Trump, Thune on Monday said “the votes aren’t there” to end the 60-vote threshold needed to pass most legislation in the Senate.
Ditching the filibuster would help end the government shutdown, which is on track to be the longest in U.S. history.
Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have refused to provide the necessary votes needed to pass a spending bill and reopen the government.
Thune said he spoke to Trump about the issue.
On social media over the weekend, Trump said Republicans should get rid of the filibuster before the Democrats do it if they reclaim the upper chamber.
“Remember, Republicans, regardless of the Schumer Shutdown, the Democrats will terminate the Filibuster the first chance they get,” Trump wrote Saturday evening on Truth Social. “They will Pack the Supreme Court, pick up two States, and add at least 8 Electoral Votes.”
“Don’t be WEAK AND STUPID,” Trump’s post continued.
“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! WIN, WIN, WIN!
“We will immediately END the Extortionist Shutdown, get ALL of our agenda passed, and make life so good for Americans that these DERANGED DEMOCRAT politicians will never again have the chance to DESTROY AMERICA!” said Trump.
“Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!!
“BE TOUGH, BE SMART, AND WIN!!! This is much bigger than the Shutdown, this is the survival of our Country!” he concluded.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has also pushed back on calls to end the filibuster.
“The filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard,” Johnson said this week, warning that ending the filibuster could hurt Republicans if Democrats take control of Congress in the future, reported The Hill on Saturday.
“If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it,” Johnson said, noting that Democrats would be able to push sweeping changes such as making the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico states, restructuring the Supreme Court, and imposing gun bans.
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