Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday that Republicans still lack the votes to end the filibuster, despite President Donald Trump's renewed push to eliminate the procedural hurdle to break the record-setting government shutdown.
"Thune, returning from [the] White House, says there still aren't the votes to terminate the filibuster," reporter Kaia Hubbard posted on X after the morning meeting.
Earlier, at a White House breakfast with GOP senators, Trump urged the conference to "do away with the filibuster this afternoon" to pass funding and reopen the government, but acknowledged the internal resistance.
"It's possible you're not going to do that, and I'm going to go by your wishes," Trump said in brief remarks, which aired live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 streaming platform.
The standoff comes as the longest shutdown in U.S. history entered its fifth week, following Democrats' election night victories and Trump's calls for Republicans to "terminate the filibuster" and "pass voter reform."
This is a sliver of hope moderate Democrats will come around on a compromise deal to end the shutdown after Tuesday's sweep.
A bipartisan group of senators is working Wednesday to secure Democrats a guarantee on a vote to extend Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies.
The proposal under discussion would pass three appropriations bills to fund several agencies for a full year and temporarily reopen the rest of the government, The Washington Post reported.
In exchange, Senate Republicans would agree to hold a future vote on extending Obamacare subsidies that Democrats want to preserve, according to sources.
About 12 moderate Democrats are considering breaking ranks to support a deal that would reopen the government, according to the report.
Thune needs around eight Democrats to vote on the House continuing resolution and the three appropriations bills.
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate to 45 Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them.
"They're tired of this," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told the Post. "So if they can see a path forward, such as something more than just a vote up or down on ending it, that gives them another reason to vote for something."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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