Senate Republicans need Democratic support to reopen the government, but they aren’t ready to change Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster to turn the lights back on.
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SenateRepublicansaren’treadytogo“nuclear”againtochangetherulesaroundtheSenatefilibusterasSenateDemocratsdigdeeperagainsttheGOP’spushtoreopenthegovernment.
SenateMajorityLeaderJohnThune,R-S.D.,andRepublicansneedatleasteightDemocratstocrosstheaisleandvotefortheircontinuingresolution(CR)topassthroughtheSenate’s60-votefilibusterthreshold.
ButonlythreeDemocraticcaucusmembershavejoinedRepublicansaftersixfailedattemptstopasstheshort-termfundingextensionastheshutdownentersitssecondweek.
SENATEDEMOCRATSDEFYWHITEHOUSEWARNINGS,AGAINBLOCKGOPBIDTOREOPENGOVERNMENT
Republicanshavealreadyturnedtothe“nuclearoption”tounilaterallychangetherulesthisyeartoblastthroughSenateMinorityLeaderChuckSchumer,D-N.Y.,andDemocrats’blockadeofPresidentDonaldTrump’snominees.Butformany,thenotionofchangingtherulesandnukingthefilibusteri
