As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is shifting tactics after Democrats repeatedly blocked Republican-led efforts to extend government funding. Thune announced a new strategy: push through standalone funding for the Department of War to ensure military paychecks continue uninterrupted.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) said Friday on NewsNation’s Cuomo that he supports eliminating the Senate filibuster to allow Republicans to pass government funding legislation without Democrat input. His comments came amid a partial government shutdown and growing partisan gridlock in the Senate.
The U.S. Senate chamber erupted in laughter Tuesday evening after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dismissed a New York Times/Siena College poll as “biased.” The poll found that 65 percent of registered voters opposed the Democrat-led government shutdown, compared to just 27 percent who supported it.
Senate Republicans are preparing to overhaul confirmation procedures in response to unprecedented obstruction from Democrats, who have blocked President Donald Trump from receiving a single voice vote or unanimous consent confirmation—marking a first in modern Senate history. This coordinated delay campaign has left hundreds of key positions in the administration vacant and forced time-consuming roll call votes on nominees who ultimately receive broad bipartisan support.
