{"id":28649,"date":"2026-01-02T15:51:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T15:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=28649"},"modified":"2026-01-02T15:51:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T15:51:59","slug":"senate-convenes-on-shutdown-deal-as-trump-pushes-filibuster-demands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=28649","title":{"rendered":"Senate Convenes on Shutdown Deal as Trump Pushes Filibuster Demands"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Senate is meeting to consider a potential deal to end the record-breaking government shutdown, now in its 37th day, as President Donald Trump renews his push for Republicans to eliminate the filibuster \u2014 a move he argues is essential to reopen the government and advance the GOP agenda.<\/p>\n

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According to\u00a0Politico<\/a>, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is working to finalize an agreement with Democratic leaders that would amend the House-passed continuing resolution to include three full-year appropriations bills, potentially extending funding through next January.<\/p>\n

The plan is designed to draw enough Democratic support to reach the 60 votes currently required under Senate rules.<\/p>\n

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The shutdown, which began in late September, officially became the longest in U.S. history on Wednesday \u2014 surpassing the 34-day closure that occurred during Trump\u2019s first term. With federal workers unpaid for more than a month and vital programs running on emergency reserves, pressure is mounting on lawmakers to strike a deal.<\/p>\n

Republican leaders believe the new offer \u2014 combining short-term government funding with a package of full-year spending measures \u2014 could entice moderate Democrats to vote in favor of reopening the government. Thune told reporters he hopes the proposal will win bipartisan backing but acknowledged that \u201cthe outcome is not guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Finalizing the agreement could take several days due to procedural delays and expected objections from both sides.<\/p>\n

When asked whether senators would remain in Washington through the weekend, Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) replied, \u201cYes,\u201d signaling that leadership intends to keep the chamber in session until a resolution is reached.<\/p>\n

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Democrats held their own closed-door lunch Thursday to discuss strategy but stopped short of announcing support for the proposed compromise. According to\u00a0CBS News<\/a>, Democratic negotiators are weighing whether to accept the spending package in exchange for a promised vote on extending health care subsidies \u2014 a key party priority heading into 2026.<\/p>\n

While talks continue, Trump is urging Senate Republicans to bypass negotiations altogether by eliminating the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation.<\/p>\n

Speaking at an Oval Office press conference Thursday, the president said the rule has become an obstacle to conservative governance and warned that Democrats would scrap it immediately if they regained control of the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s time for them to end the filibuster and just put everybody back to work,\u201d Trump said. \u201cVote in voter ID, vote in no mail-in voting except for the military, far away military and people that are very sick. I\u2019d like to see one-day voting. I\u2019d like to clean up the elections, secure the border, and pass fair immigration laws. We could do it all ourselves \u2014 but to do that, you have to end the filibuster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump said Democrats would not hesitate to change the rules for their own advantage if they regained power. \u201cThey\u2019ll do it too. They\u2019ll immediately do it,\u201d he warned. \u201cThey\u2019re going to make Puerto Rico a state, they\u2019re going to make D.C. a state, they\u2019re going to pack the court, they\u2019re going to end up with more electoral votes, they\u2019re going to end up with four new senators \u2014 and they\u2019re going to do this, 100 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments come one day after Trump clashed with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during a breakfast meeting with Senate Republicans at the White House.<\/p>\n

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In that meeting, Trump told GOP senators that they risked becoming a \u201cdead party\u201d if they refused to terminate the filibuster. Graham argued that Republicans could still use reconciliation to pass certain legislation with a simple majority, but Trump rejected that view, saying, \u201cLindsey, you and I both know there\u2019s so much you can\u2019t do with reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Trump\u2019s repeated calls, Thune and several senior Senate Republicans have made clear they will not support eliminating the filibuster.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just not happening,\u201d Thune told reporters Wednesday, reiterating his belief that the rule protects minority rights in the chamber and prevents what he described as \u201clegislative chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the Senate, controlling 52 seats, but the president\u2019s proposal would require a simple majority to change chamber rules \u2014 a step that leadership insists is off the table.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n