US Government Shutdown Enters Sixth Week Amid Senate Filibuster Debate

The U.S. government shutdown has entered its sixth week, threatening to become the longest in history as Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked. President Donald Trump is actively pushing GOP leaders to eliminate the Senate filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to overcome objections, to reopen the government without Democratic support. While Trump argues this is necessary to end the shutdown and address the crisis, many Republicans resist changing Senate rules, valuing the filibuster's role in protecting minority party interests. Democrats have voted multiple times against reopening the government, demanding negotiations to extend health care subsidies before ending the shutdown, while Republicans refuse to negotiate until government operations resume. The shutdown has caused severe disruptions, including missed paychecks for federal employees like air traffic controllers and delays or suspensions of food aid programs affecting millions of Americans. Senate Majority Leader John Thune remains cautiously optimistic about a possible vote to reopen the government by the end of the week, but progress remains uncertain amid ongoing partisan stalemate.