Senate Majority Leader John Thune shot down speculation that Republicans would deploy the so-called nuclear option to break the funding stalemate.
The idea has gained traction on social media, particularly among Democrats who already support getting rid of the 60-vote threshold needed for legislation. But it found a new footing when a sliver of GOP lawmakers — including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) — suggested that it should be an option on the table.
Thune, asked about the possibility, said Thursday he is opposed to changing the legislative filibuster and indicated that he had not gotten pressure from the White House to do so.
“There’s always a lot of swirl out there, as you know, from social media, et cetera, but no, I have not had that conversation,” Thune said when asked if the White House was advocating for the move.
Deploying the nuclear option — where the Senate changes its rules by a simple majority vote — would require near unity in the Senate GOP. A few members have flirted with the idea — including Moreno, who said during a Fox News interview this week that “maybe it’s time to think about the filibuster.”
But a larger swath of Republicans don’t have much of an interest in getting rid of the hurdle. Nuking the legislative filibuster sparks unease and outright opposition with a number of GOP senators, who worry that it will come back to bite them when they are in the minority.
Thune, when he became majority leader in January, reiterated his support for the legislative filibuster. And Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, reiterated Thursday he also does not support getting rid of it.
They got support from Speaker Mike Johnson this week. The Louisiana Republican said that while it’s ultimately a decision for the Senate, he believed it would be a misstep.
“Is it possible? Yes. … Is it wise? A lot of people would tell you it’s not,” he told reporters Wednesday. “I mean, on the Republican side, I would be deeply concerned if the Democrats had a bare majority in the Senate right now.”
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
