The most common response among Senate Republicans was that the filibuster should remain in place, lending credence to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) refrain that the votes aren’t there for its abolishment. Twenty-four senators, or 45% of the conference, publicly expressed that view.
Yet many Republicans appeared evasive or uncomfortable stating their position outright, while a sizable share were open to or inclined to support former President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate the filibuster. Eleven senators, or 21%, remained noncommittal, and another nine, or 17%, were considered persuadable. The final category, “no response,” includes senators who either declined to comment in person or whose offices did not reply by the time of publication. This tally will be updated if additional Senate offices respond or wish to clarify their position.
All of the top Republicans in Senate leadership remained unmoved by Trump’s pressure campaign, reaffirming their support for the filibuster after a series of posts on Truth Social calling for its elimination. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), an adviser to Thune, took a more ambiguous stance than he did in 2018, when he openly sided with Trump as a freshman senator. “We don’t have the votes, so it’s a moot point,” he said.
There were signs that some senators were reevaluating their stance in light of the monthlong government shutdown, which centers on Democrats’ demand for healthcare concessions. Sen. John Boozman (R-AK), who signed a 2017 letter calling for the preservation of the filibuster, said on Tuesday that he still supports it but is open to discussing carve-outs. “Kept with discussion of reform,” he stated.
In one notable flip, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who initially said he would only consider nixing the filibuster for fiscal changes such as balancing the budget, said he was now on board and would lobby other members to side with Trump. His reassessment came after the president hosted Republicans for a White House breakfast where he again pressed the filibuster issue, arguing that Republicans should act now because Democrats would do the same if they retake the Senate.
The most striking finding was how many senators declined to state their view definitively, often answering in generalities or repeating the mantra that “the votes aren’t there.” “It’s going to require a longer conversation,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said, simply adding, “I am taking this one step at a time,” when pressed for his personal opinion.
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) was similarly evasive, saying after hinting that “maybe” her view had changed, “I’m not giving to anybody a tally score.” Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) steered the conversation back to the shutdown, saying, “Let’s just open the government. The easy answer on this is for Democrats to open the government. That’s what they need to do.”
Among those most open to Trump’s call was Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who is willing to eliminate the filibuster if it means resuming food stamp payments that have been put at risk by the shutdown. “If you’re putting me into a choice between the institutional rules of the Senate versus human suffering, I’m going to protect people,” Hawley said.
At the other end of the spectrum are long-serving senators like John Cornyn (R-TX), who say they are “willing to listen” but still strongly prefer to keep the filibuster in place. Cornyn is currently seeking Trump’s endorsement in his Texas Senate primary.
The Washington Examiner found few Republicans eager to wholesale eliminate the filibuster. Hawley and Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) explicitly noted that siding with Trump isn’t a binary choice. “I’m for reforming the filibuster under certain circumstances,” Banks said, a view that mirrors many Senate Democrats who have previously expressed support for carve-outs on issues important to their caucus, such as abortion access or voting rights legislation.
Trump, for his part, named voter ID laws and other election changes when meeting with Senate Republicans on Wednesday. Some Republicans categorized as “open” were still undecided or had not fully developed their opinions on the subject.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) floated lowering the filibuster threshold but stopped short of endorsing a simple majority rule. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) said his view was still evolving. “I wake up every morning praying that I would do justice,” Marshall said on Wednesday. “Two weeks ago, I would have said, ‘Hell no, leave it alone.’ Here we are, day 45, and I’m seriously considering it.”
Grace Hagerman contributed to this report.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/3878248/where-every-senate-republican-stands-trump-end-filibuster/
