Republican senators weighed in this week on calls to end the filibuster following the continued failure by the Senate to open the government.

In an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said, “[H]ere’s the other thing I’d say, if the Democrats aren’t willing to negotiate, and we can’t get anywhere on this, we’re going to think about changing the rules of the Senate, because at the end of the day, we cannot allow the government to remain permanently closed, the military not paid, needy families go hungry, all because we got to get 60 votes and the Democrats won’t give them to us.”

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., in a letter sent this week to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., requested that the Republican leader, “suspend the cloture rule, in order to bring HR 5371 to the Senate floor.”

The Louisiana congressman addressed some political apprehension about the move, writing, “Suspending the cloture rule to end this shutdown is not “nuclear”, it’s just smart. If the cloture rule is waived or amended, Republicans can bring the House continuing resolution to the Senate floor, pass it by simple majority, open the government, and by God just win and keep winning.”

Other members of Congress have expressed support for maintaining the filibuster during these highly polarized times. 

“We are not going to eliminate the filibuster—the votes aren’t there. Without it, we could see efforts to add Puerto Rico and D.C. as states to gain more Democrat seats and potentially pack the Supreme Court to secure a permanent liberal majority. Ending the filibuster would threaten the America we know today,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told The Daily Signal.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., explained in a recent joint interview with his colleague Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., “The reason the cloture rule and the filibuster rule even exists is it forces people that disagree, just like Americans do, to be able to have a place in government where two sides that disagree have to sit down and be able to work it out. So, I’ve been so adamant to be able to protect the filibuster.” 

In a showing of bipartisan support, Coons expressed affirmation with Lankford’s point. 

“I agree with what my Republican colleague said, which was, the thing that distinguishes the Senate is that we are still forced to negotiate and to work together,” Coons stated when asked about a statement by Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., where he advocated carving out the filibuster “so we can move on.”

“I respect Senator Fetterman, but I think that was more of an off the cuff answer than a measured and thoughtful response about the structural significance of the filibuster,” Coons said. 

“It’s a really bad idea, and it would be worse for Republicans than Democrats for sure. If you look at the history of our country, they have had all the power many more times than we have and they would make D.C. a state and have 15 Supreme Court justices,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told Scott Hennen Friday on the radio program “What’s on Your Mind.”

The president himself acknowledged the states if Democrats obtained control over the legislative and executive branches in the future and were not constrained by needing 60 votes in the Senate.

“[Democrats] want to substantially expand (PACK!) the United States Supreme Court, make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico States (Thereby automatically picking up 4 Senate seats, many House seats, and at least 8 Electoral Votes!), and many other highly destructive things,” Trump said in the same post calling for the end of the filibuster. The president contended that the Democrats were prepared to end the filibuster as soon as they obtained the prerequisite electoral wins again.

“If the Democrats ever came back into power, which would be made easier for them if the Republicans are not using the Great Strength and Policies made available to us by ending the Filibuster, the 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,” Trump posted.

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