WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate reconvened amid the longest shutdown in American history, now stretching into its 37th day. Behind closed doors, tempers are boiling as President Donald Trump presses Republican leaders to take the nuclear step: end the filibuster once and for all.
According to Politico, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is negotiating a short-term deal with Democrats to fund parts of the government through next January. But that still requires 60 votes — the very rule Trump now wants to destroy.
At an Oval Office press conference, Trump declared, “It’s time for them to end the filibuster and put everybody back to work. Vote in voter ID, no mail-in voting except for military. One-day voting, secure borders, fair immigration laws — we could do it all ourselves.”
Trump’s comments came just a day after a heated breakfast meeting with GOP senators at the White House, where he reportedly clashed with Sen. Lindsey Graham. “Lindsey, you and I both know there’s so much you can’t do with reconciliation,” Trump shot back, warning Republicans that their party risked becoming “a dead party” if they failed to act.
Inside the Capitol, sources say tension is high. While Thune insists the filibuster is staying — calling it a protection against “legislative chaos” — Trump’s supporters argue it’s time to bulldoze the old rules and start governing.
Meanwhile, Democrats are weighing their own strategy, considering whether to back a partial funding bill in exchange for a future vote on healthcare subsidies — a move that could break the impasse but deepen party divisions.
As the standoff drags on, thousands of federal workers remain unpaid, and the public grows restless. But Trump’s message couldn’t be clearer: “End it now, or we’ll never fix America.”
“They’re going to make Puerto Rico a state, they’re going to make D.C. a state, they’re going to pack the court,” Trump warned. “They’ll do it 100%.”
Whether this latest showdown forces a deal or sparks a deeper crisis remains to be seen. But one thing is certain — the Senate has never been under this much pressure to act.
