Republican senators brushed aside President Trump's latest demand to eliminate the Senate filibuster on Friday, even as their party tries to exert pressure on Democrats to end the government shutdown. Trump's call to remove the 60-vote threshold to pass most legislation, delivered on Truth Social, injected new uncertainty into the standoff and frustrated some GOP senators, Politico reports. Majority Leader John Thune—who has said before that the day the filibuster rule is thrown out is the day he'll resign from the Senate—reaffirmed his support for the rule. The 60-vote threshold "has protected this country," he said.
The longstanding Senate rule requires a supermajority for most legislation and is viewed by many senators as an important safeguard. Such sentiments came Friday from Sen. John Barrasso, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, and Sen. John Curtis of Utah, who wrote, "Power changes hands, but principles shouldn't. I'm a firm no on eliminating it." Sen. Thom Tillis' office said he "would never vote to eliminate the legislative filibuster under any circumstance." Sen. Mitch McConnell, who repeatedly resisted Trump's calls to end the filibuster during the president's first term, also signaled continued opposition, with his office pointing to his past response to Trump: "No."
Trump had posted Thursday that "now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing," the shutdown would be ended, per NBC News. Although he has no role in the decision, GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said he understands the Senate keeping the rule. "If the shoe was on the other foot, I don't think our team would like it," Johnson said. Although Sen. Roger Marshall said he might support a limited change just to approve a government funding bill, the Republican made a similar point. "We all know that the Senate goes back and forth," Marshall said, "and it's in our favor when we have the minority."
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