Senate Debates 'Nuclear Option' Amid Shutdown

The federal government shutdown has stretched into its third week with repeated Senate defeats to reopen funding. Senate Republicans including John Thune and Mike Rounds blame Democrats for keeping the government closed while opposing changes to the filibuster. Rank-and-file Republicans such as Rep. Chip Roy and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have floated invoking the “nuclear option” to bypass the 60-vote threshold for a clean continuing resolution, though Thune has ruled that out for now. Sen. John Fetterman (D‑Pa.) — one of three Democrats who previously voted with Republicans to fund the government — urged GOP senators to carve spending bills out of the filibuster or formally end it, citing looming hunger, SNAP cuts and unpaid Capitol Police. Republicans point to precedent in using the nuclear option for confirmations, while critics warn that eroding the filibuster would weaken bipartisan checks.