Overview
- At a White House breakfast, President Trump urged Republican senators to “terminate the filibuster” to end the shutdown and later warned Democrats would scrap it immediately if they take control.
- A growing bloc of Republicans signaled openness to changes, with Sen. John Cornyn floating an appropriations carve‑out and Sens. Ron Johnson, Tommy Tuberville, Josh Hawley and Jim Banks expressing support for reform.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans lack the votes to change the rules, and his control of the floor makes any rules‑change vote unlikely for now.
- Key GOP skeptics — including Sens. Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Ted Cruz, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul — argue ending the filibuster would backfire if Democrats later hold the Senate.
- Carve‑outs for spending and continuing resolutions gained traction in public debate as the shutdown nears 40 days, with impacts such as SNAP benefits and military pay cited by proponents of action.