Trump: If Shutdown Stalemate Goes On, Senate Should Use ‘Nuclear Option’

on January 19, 2018 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: U.S. President Donald Trump stands in the colonnade as he is introduced to speak to March for Life participants and pro-life leaders in the Rose Garden at the White House on January 19, ... WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: U.S. President Donald Trump stands in the colonnade as he is introduced to speak to March for Life participants and pro-life leaders in the Rose Garden at the White House on January 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. The annual march takes place around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court decision that came on January 22, 1974. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump on Sunday pushed for Senate Republicans to use the “nuclear option” and change the chamber’s rules to pass a spending bill with a simple majority if congressional deadlock continues while the government is shut down.

“If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!” Trump tweeted.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Saturday said that Trump had “not called” him to negotiate.

“They say they’re not negotiating. That’s foolish,” Schumer said. “We haven’t heard from them.”

Also on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the Senate will vote Monday at 1 a.m. on a short-term spending bill that would fund the government for three weeks.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. What would the procedure be?

  2. Yes, let’s go nuclear. That option would be pefect when the party in control of the Senate changes.

  3. Avatar for erik_t erik_t says:

    The Senate loves being told what to do by outsiders. They don’t think they’re special, the upper half of a coequal branch of government. They actually consider themselves more like a board of directors at a privately-held firm, nominally in some position of power but really beholden to the man in the Big Chair.

    I think you should keep this up, Mr. Trump. It’s likely to be highly effective.

    (N.B. I’m not sure if they even have 50 votes, never mind 60. But never mind that, we should use the thermonuclear option and pass a budget with a simple 45-vote minority!)

    (lol.)

  4. Donald Trump must really enjoy trying to make Mitch McConnell piss in his drawers. I guess if you can’t get a hold of any Russian hookers, you have to settle for the next best thing.

  5. Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked

    The sequel to Grimm’s fairy tales will be a collection of Trump’s tweets.

    Government shutdowns are always personal. People I know are affected by this repetitious buffoonery. Roaring incompetence and tantrums are quickly becoming the defining characteristics of the Republican party.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

74 more replies

Participants

Avatar for silvrfox Avatar for bull_vinkel Avatar for sysprog Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for jloomis3 Avatar for clemmers Avatar for cervantes Avatar for navamske Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for denisj Avatar for ignoreland Avatar for darrtown Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for lb22 Avatar for asturcot Avatar for ncgirl741 Avatar for krux Avatar for stephanie1954 Avatar for aiddon Avatar for theuniversalexecutive Avatar for yellowbeard

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: