On Monday, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) proposed considering a “nuclear option” to put an end to the government shutdown, suggesting it could help bypass the Senate’s 60-vote requirement for reopening.
Roy mentioned to reporters, “We need to look at the 60-vote threshold, which we really are.”
Under current Senate rules, most legislation requires a 60-vote majority to overcome filibusters, which is currently stalling the Republican majority from reopening the government due to Democratic opposition.
Last month, Senate Republican leaders opted for the “nuclear option” to move past needing Democratic votes for President Trump’s nominees, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) stated that he wouldn’t apply the same approach for a continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the government.
However, Roy believes this tactic deserves consideration. “Why don’t you at least consider CR?” he questioned. “Why aren’t we saying, look, we have a 50-vote threshold for the budget, we have a 50-vote threshold for reconciliation, why shouldn’t we have a 50-vote threshold for funding the government?”
The 60-vote threshold has long been viewed by Republicans as a necessary check on Democratic power when they lead. Thune had indicated earlier that safeguarding the filibuster would be a critical focus for him this year.
Roy expressed some frustration about the system, saying, “Look, I like being able to block bad things with 60 votes, don’t get me wrong, but it feels like a one-way ratchet…” He remarked that former Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin seemed willing to disregard this threshold to push their agenda.
“I think Republicans should think long and hard about the 60-vote threshold because I think we’re just stuck in a broken system right now,” he added.
Roy isn’t alone in his call for reevaluation of the filibuster; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has also suggested using the “nuclear option” to conclude the shutdown.
In contrast, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) cautioned against this approach.
“Is that wise? There will be many who would say no,” he stated during a press conference earlier this month. Johnson also voiced concern over the implications of a narrow Democratic majority in the Senate, questioning whether it would be prudent to remove all checks on such a majority, particularly given worries about Marxist ideology gaining influence.
