Johnson cautioned against using ‘nuclear option’ to reopen government
(MENAFN) U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned against employing the “nuclear option” to end the ongoing government shutdown, even as President Donald Trump urged Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster.
“We haven’t spoken with (the president) since he returned (from Asia),” Johnson told reporters during a press briefing. “What you’re seeing is an expression of the president’s anger at the situation. He is as angry, as I am and the American people are, about this madness, and he just desperately wants the government to be reopened.”
The filibuster, a long-standing Senate procedure, allows a minority of at least 41 senators to delay or block most legislative actions.
While Johnson noted that the issue ultimately falls within the Senate’s jurisdiction, he underscored that the filibuster has “traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard.” He cautioned that eliminating it could have long-term political consequences. “If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it,” he said, warning that Democrats could “pack the Supreme Court, make Puerto Rico and D.C. states ban firearms and do all sorts of things that would be very harmful for the country.”
“And the safeguard in the Senate has always been a filibuster,” he added.
Trump, however, took a sharply different stance. “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!” he wrote Thursday on his Truth Social platform.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune recently argued that eliminating the rule would be a “bad idea,” signaling limited support among Senate Republicans for Trump’s proposal.
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