WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump urged the Senate to abolish the filibuster so that a simple majority can approve legislation – and end the government shutdown – but even fellow Republicans are reluctant to surrender the weapon to block contentious bills.

Trump urged the change so that a simple majority in the House and Senate, which his fellow Republicans now control, could approve his priorities. Ending the shutdown has become more urgent because SNAP food benefits are set to run out Nov. 1, the same day health insurance premiums are spiking for millions under the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare.

"It is now time for the Republicans to play their 'TRUMP CARD,' and go for what is called the Nuclear Option − Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!" Trump posted on social media.

But enough of his fellow Republicans appear opposed to the idea.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has steadfastly told reporters he doesn’t expect to abolish the filibuster even though it “can sometimes be frustrating.” His spokesperson confirmed Oct. 31 that his position remains unchanged.

“The filibuster serves a crucial purpose,” Thune said on the Senate floor in January just days after Trump's second-term inauguration. “The filibuster acts as a check on imprudent or ill-considered legislation. It forces discussion and compromise.”

Here is what to know about why the filibuster has its defenders even in a politically polarized time:

What is a Senate filibuster?

The crux of the dispute focuses on Senate Rule XXII, which requires a 60-vote threshold to cut off debate. The threshold used to be even harder to overcome: A two-thirds majority – or 67 votes – was required until the rule was changed in 1975.

The movie version of the filibuster is a lone senator talking until he collapses, as in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” In a couple of recent examples, Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Cory Booker of New Jersey each held the floor for a full day to decry Trump administration policies.

But in practice, what this means is that a 60-vote majority is needed to conduct almost any Senate business because even the simplest maneuvers, such as calling up a bill or recessing for the night, are subject to debate. One senator can force a vote that can’t be held until two days later.

In the case of the government shutdown, GOP leaders are trying to send a House-passed bill to Trump to reopen the government until Nov. 21. But with only 53 Republicans against 47 Democrats, the majority needs a handful of Democrats to cross the aisle.

One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, has opposed the measure each time it has come up for a Senate vote. But three other senators – Democrats John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and independent Angus King of Maine – have consistently voted yes. That leaves Republicans needing five more Democrats to cross the aisle to approve the bill.

What is the 'nuclear option'?

The parliamentary maneuver to abolish the filibuster is called the “nuclear option” because of how acrimonious it is.

The procedure is possible when the Senate leader calls a vote and then asks the parliamentarian for a ruling on whether a filibuster is justified. If a majority votes to overturn the parliamentarian, that becomes precedent for future votes. In this way, a simple majority is able to overcome a filibuster that would otherwise require a 60-vote majority.

When the late Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, led the chamber, he used the maneuver in 2013 to abolish the filibuster against executive nominees and lower-court judges. This broke up a logjam of Republican opposition to then-President Barack Obama’s nominees.

Republicans abandoned the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees in 2017 by invoking the nuclear option to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch. The move opened the courthouse door to Trump’s two other high court nominees during his first term.

Some of Trump’s nominees benefited from the change with the slimmest majorities for confirmation votes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was confirmed in January when Vice President JD Vance broke a tie.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who served as majority and minority leader during his long tenure, had warned Reid in July 2013 that he would regret what he called a “dangerous and far-reaching” change.

“They are not even interested in what this would mean down the road when Republicans are the ones making the nominations,” McConnell said of Democrats on the Senate floor. “They want the power and they want it now. They do not care about the consequences.”

Even Trump's fellow Republicans oppose ending the filibuster

Republicans including McConnell and Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Susan Collins of Maine, John Cornyn of Texas, John Curtis of Utah, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have spoken against eliminating the filibuster.

The nuclear option would fail if four Republicans joined Democrats in voting against ending the legislative filibuster. Thune and Barrasso wouldn't even need to call a vote.

Longtime senators are usually the filibuster’s biggest defenders after serving in the minority.

“Power is fleeting, and at some point the shoe will always be on the other foot,” Cornyn said when Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, was majority leader and considered ending the filibuster during the Biden administration.

Even a relative newcomer, Curtis, opposes eliminating the filibuster.

“The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate,” Curtis said on social media Oct. 31. “Power changes hands, but principles shouldn’t. I’m a firm no on eliminating it.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, from the chamber where a simple majority rules, said both sides cherish the filibuster.

“The argument is that you would open up a Pandora’s box” by abolishing the filibuster, he told C-Span viewers Oct. 9. He added that when Democrats take control again, they could “raise taxes through the roof and take over everything.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is the filibuster? Why does Trump hate it? Will it end? Here are answers

Reporting by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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