For months, Americans have watched their government sit paralyzed while Democrats wielded procedural tools to block nearly every Republican priority. The 43-day government shutdown—the longest in American history—wasn’t some unavoidable catastrophe. It was a calculated move by Senate Democrats who decided that crippling the federal government was preferable to letting the duly elected Republican majority actually govern.
The frustration among conservative voters has reached a boiling point. They delivered Republicans control of both chambers and the White House in 2024. They showed up, they voted, they won. Yet they’ve watched the minority party use the 60-vote filibuster threshold to torpedo everything from Obamacare reforms to basic government funding. Now, it appears something significant is shifting behind the scenes.
From ‘Fox News’:
“It’s something I’m giving serious consideration to now,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. Marshall previously told Fox News Digital, “Never, never, ever, never, none,” when asked if he would consider changing the rules after Trump called on Republicans to nuke the filibuster in October. Just a few months later, Marshall is reconsidering his position. “I think between the last government shutdown and the threat of this one, it makes me pause,” he said. “It seems like, with healthcare, that the Democrats, really the Democrat Party, doesn’t want to get anything done.”
This is a sitting Republican senator who went from absolute refusal to serious consideration in a matter of months. That’s not a minor shift. That’s a sea change.
Marshall isn’t the only one reconsidering. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma—a member of Majority Leader John Thune’s own leadership team—has publicly stated his position has evolved. During a recent meeting with GOP leadership, Mullin posed a direct question to his colleagues. Do they honestly believe Democrats wouldn’t eliminate the filibuster themselves the moment they regained power?
“If we believe that they’re going to do it, then why don’t we just go ahead and get it done,” Mullin said.
Hard to argue with that logic.
What Eliminating the Filibuster Would Mean
The implications here are massive. With a simple majority vote, Republicans could pass government funding without groveling for Democratic support that never comes. They could confirm judges. They could approve U.S. Attorneys. They could advance President Trump’s full agenda without the futile exercise of begging for ten Democratic votes.
Trump himself has been beating this drum for months. He’s called it the “nuclear option” and urged Republicans to play their “TRUMP CARD.” There’s a certain irony here that shouldn’t be lost on anyone. Democrats spent years trying to eliminate the filibuster themselves during the Biden administration. Only Senators Manchin and Sinema stood in their way. Now the shoe is on the other foot.
Still, not everyone in the GOP conference is ready to make the move. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana argues Republicans aren’t “using the tools we have right now.” He points to budget reconciliation as an alternative path forward. It’s a fair point. Reconciliation did get Trump’s signature “big beautiful bill” across the finish line. Majority Leader Thune has also repeatedly stated his opposition to changing the rules.
The Governance Question
The January 30th funding deadline is approaching fast. Americans are left wondering whether Senate Republicans will finally respond to Democratic obstruction with the same aggressive tactics the left has always been willing to deploy.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth. The filibuster was designed to encourage bipartisan compromise. Noble goal. But it’s become something else entirely—a weapon for the minority to effectively nullify election results. When one party wins and still can’t govern, something in the system is broken.
For conservatives who believe elections should have consequences, the question isn’t whether eliminating the filibuster carries risks. Of course it does. The real question is whether allowing Democrats to perpetually veto the people’s mandate is any less dangerous to self-governance itself. That’s a question every Republican senator will have to answer soon.
Key Takeaways
- Sen. Roger Marshall dramatically reversed his position on eliminating the filibuster after the 43-day government shutdown.
- GOP leadership is divided, with Sen. Mullin supporting change while Majority Leader Thune remains opposed.
- Democrats have used the 60-vote threshold to block Republican priorities despite losing the 2024 election.
- The January 30th funding deadline may force Republicans to make a consequential decision about Senate rules.
