As shown in a letter shared with the Washington Examiner, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) has called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Friday to invoke the “nuclear option” and abolish the filibuster.
“With unified Republican control of Congress and the White House, the American people expect results—not procedural paralysis,” the letter stated. “In the last month alone, the Democratic Party has repeatedly weaponized this impractical barrier to the detriment of the American citizens.”
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“Leader Thune, the filibuster is not a safeguard of deliberation; it is a veto wielded by the Democrat minority party that has chosen the obstruction of political gain over compromise in the best interest of the American people,” the representative added. “The nuclear option is not a weapon — it is a tool to restore majority rule in the framework of our Constitutional Republic.”
Donalds letter to Sen. Thune (R-SD) comes a day after President Donald Trump demanded he eliminate the filibuster.
As it stands, the filibuster mandates the Senate to reach a 60-vote threshold in order to pass any legislation, which has prevented President Donald Trump from signing legislation to fund the government.
Only two Democrats and one independent — Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) voted alongside all 42 Senate Republicans to pass legislation that would fund the government, which has led to the second-longest shutdown of the federal government in history.
“I’ll never vote to shut our government down or for this mass food insecurity, ” Fetterman wrote on X. “We need to end this chaos, reopen, and honor our solemn responsibilities.”
During the shutdown, the majority of Senate Democrats have also voted against legislation that would pay all active duty service members, which has left over one million troops without pay.
Donalds letter motivated his colleagues to echo his support of President Donald Trump’s call to abolish the filibuster.
“It is time to use a nuclear option. Democrats would rather have your children starve than do the right thing. Complete insanity,’ Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) wrote on X after Donalds letter. “@LeaderJohnThune it is time to ENGAGE. Nuclear option commence.”
Other Republicans, such as Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), posted about President Trump’s call in an enthusiastic manner, possibly signaling support for the elimination of the filibuster.
“It just got real @realDonaldTrump wants the NUCLEAR OPTION!,” wrote.
Many conservatives believe that ending the filibuster, especially in a time of crisis such as this, is not just optimal but necessary.
Over 40 million Americans were in danger of not receiving their federal food assistance programs.
Around 1.4 million Americans, including first responders, congressional staff, and other federal employees, have continuously missed paychecks.
Without an end to the filibuster, the negative consequences of the federal government’s shutdown could persist ahead of and even throughout the holiday season.
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Those wary of the negative consequences that the Republican Party could face if the shoe were on the other foot need to note that the possibility for Democrats to eliminate the filibuster if they had the chance is a real threat.
“Democrats will exercise their rights, and it will be done in the first day they take office, regardless of whether or not we do it,” President Trump wrote.
Likewise, Vice President JD Vance told university students at a Turning Point USA event last week, “I want every conservative to remember — It’s an important part of my entire political philosophy — we cannot be afraid to do something because the left might do it in the future. The left is already going to do it, regardless of whether we do it.”
