Trump wants the nuclear option

President Donald Trump is calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster so that Republicans can bypass Democrats and reopen the federal government. The filibuster is a long-standing tactic whereby a single senator continues addressing the chamber until the session ends, delaying or preventing the body from casting a vote. Senate rules currently require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, but the majority party can amend the rules to require a simple majority of 51 votes. The majority parties have used this “nuclear option” three times since 2013 on particular categories of legislation, and Trump wants it used now so that the 53 Republican senators can reopen the federal government on Republican terms. The dispute shows that the government is extremely divided and willing to throw out century-old rules of moderation, rules that Democrats likewise can and have thrown out when they take the majority.