WASHINGTON — Some Senate Republicans who once rejected any future in which the filibuster was toppled are now embracing the prospect after President Donald Trump warned it was the only way to advance their agenda without Democratic obstruction.
In a brief breakfast meeting with Senate Republicans on Wednesday, Trump lamented that the government shutdown was costing the party after big election wins for Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York City.
Utah Sen. John Curtis, who was present at the meeting, told the Deseret News that Trump believes the government shutdown “contributed” to those losses and had pressed Senate Republicans to cement their power on Capitol Hill.
One way to do that, Trump suggested, was to end the filibuster.
“It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do: terminate the filibuster. If you don’t? You’ll be in bad shape,” Trump said. “We won’t pass any legislation. No legislation for three and a quarter years.”
The 60-vote threshold makes it nearly impossible for either party to advance a partisan piece of legislation, which Trump argued would put congressional Republicans in a tough spot to defend their slim majorities next year if they don’t have any policy wins to campaign on. Even worse, the president warned, Republicans could lose the 2028 presidential race.
Repealing the filibuster would require substantial support among Republicans — and some warn it could come back to haunt them in the future if the party once again finds itself in the minority.
Curtis has long defended the filibuster rule, arguing it ensures bipartisanship and protects against radicalized lawmaking. Despite Trump’s arguments on Wednesday, Curtis told the Deseret News his stance has not changed.
“It hasn’t swayed mine,” Curtis said. “I can’t speak for my colleagues, but it hasn’t swayed mine.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., has also remained staunchly opposed to terminating the filibuster, telling reporters earlier this week he doesn’t think the proposal will even receive a vote in the Senate — and “I think the president knows that.”
“The president made a very measured, rational argument in favor of getting rid of the filibuster,” Kennedy said after the breakfast on Wednesday. “My position hasn’t changed.”
But some Republicans are toying with the idea — even after defending the centuries-old rule in recent years.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he was “open to changes” while Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., acknowledged Trump “made some really good points.”
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who has previously rejected Democratic efforts to repeal the filibuster, told reporters that not only has his mind changed on the matter, but now he’s ready to convince others.
“(Democrats are) going to do it. So we better beat them to the punch and act while we can pass legislation for the benefit of the American public,” Johnson said. “Let’s not be schmucks, OK? Let’s be smart, because if we would do it, we’d be doing it for the benefit of the American public to pass good legislation that Democrats will not allow to pass here.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., similarly expressed an openness to nuke the filibuster, arguing he may not have a choice if Democrats continue to block legislation to reopen the government. With the pause of SNAP funding leaving millions of families without food assistance, Hawley said it’s beginning to “radicalize me.”
“If you’re telling me I’m going to have to choose between people in my state eating or preserving the arcane rules in the Senate — if you’re going to put me to that choice, I’m going to choose people in my state eating,” Hawley said.
Getting rid of the filibuster would require Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to invoke the nuclear option, a rarely used maneuver that allows the majority party to change Senate rules with only a simple majority vote. Thune most recently “went nuclear” to eliminate the filibuster for some lower-level Trump administration nominees — but the top Senate Republican has so far resisted using it again.
“As I’ve said before, there are not the votes there. And so the main thing we need to be focused on right now, in my view, is getting the government opened up again,” Thune said on Wednesday. “I don’t doubt that (Trump) could have some sway with members, but I know where the math is on this issue in the Senate. It’s just not happening.”