WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump invited Senate Republicans on Nov. 5 to the White House to ask them to end the filibuster and reopen the government.
“We have to get the country open, and the way we’re going to do it, this afternoon, is to terminate the filibuster,” Trump told the lawmakers.
“And it’s possible you’re not going to do that, and I’m going to go by your wishes. You’re very smart people. We’re good friends, but I think it’s a tremendous mistake, really. It would be a tragic mistake, actually. It’s time. It’s time.”
The Senate filibuster is a long-standing parliamentary tool that requires a 60-vote supermajority—rather than a simple majority—to pass most bills. It is not a constitutional requirement and can be changed by a majority vote of the Senate.
Trump blamed the Democrats for the government shutdown, which has now entered its 36th day, becoming the longest in U.S. history. The current shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, resulted from a partisan disagreement over health care spending.
Trump said he would stay neutral on the issue if the Republicans choose not to take any action, but warned that if Democrats take control of the Senate, their first action would be to end the filibuster.
“If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you'll be in bad shape. We won’t pass any legislation,” he said.
Trump blamed the shutdown in part for Republican losses in the Nov. 4 elections.
“I thought we'd have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented, and what we should do about it, and also about the shutdown, how that relates to last night,” Trump told the senators. “I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans.”
“Democrats stand ready to meet with you face to face, anytime and any place,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stated in the letter.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), however, has consistently defended the rule.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has also defended the value of the filibuster.
“The filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it,” Johnson told reporters at a news conference on Oct. 31.
Republicans have secured a majority of votes for their continuing resolution to fund the government, including from three senators who caucus with the Democrats. Yet support has so far fallen short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a possible filibuster.
