Trump Urges End to Filibuster; GOP Leaders Reject

President Donald Trump has urged Senate Republicans to permanently eliminate the 60‑vote filibuster to reopen the government and push through his agenda, repeating the demand on Truth Social and in a 60 Minutes interview as the shutdown reached its 31st day. He argued that scrapping the filibuster would allow Republicans to act now and prevent alleged Democratic retaliation, warning of court‑packing and electoral changes if Democrats regain power. Republican leaders including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sen. John Barrasso and House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected the proposal, defending the filibuster as essential to the Senate’s functioning. The shutdown has left many federal workers furloughed or unpaid, caused airport delays, and led to a lapse in SNAP funding that courts have partially addressed, while health advocates warn that lapsing Affordable Care Act subsidies could raise premiums.