Overview
- Late Thursday, President Trump urged Republicans to use the “nuclear option” to abolish the filibuster and pass a funding bill with a simple majority.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune has publicly opposed ending the filibuster, and Republicans likely lack the votes for such a move, according to private discussions described to Axios.
- The 60-vote threshold has blocked GOP stopgap bills despite a 53–47 majority, as Democrats hold out for extensions of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and related health provisions.
- The shutdown has passed the 30-day mark, with about 750,000 federal workers furloughed and the Congressional Budget Office estimating a $7 billion to $14 billion economic cost.
- SNAP benefits face immediate deadlines and air travel disruptions are growing, while the Senate is not set to return until Monday and negotiators report only tentative signs of progress.