With federal workers already missing pay and U.S. troops set to miss their next paycheck, a growing faction of hardline Republicans is considering the “nuclear option” to break the deadlock and reopen the government. The controversial move would change the Senate’s filibuster rules so a simple majority could pass a funding bill, bypassing the 60-vote threshold that has long defined Senate procedure.
The idea, once seen as a last resort, is gaining traction among MAGA-aligned lawmakers frustrated by weeks of gridlock. “I think if it takes too long, that’s probably an option that should be considered,” Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio told HuffPost. “There’s probably 80% of Americans that can’t go without two paychecks in a row. I think at that point we have to look at it and say, if the Democrats are still doing political stunts, we have to do the right thing and reopen the government and pay our employees.”
Moreno added that most Americans would expect the party in power to act. “You have a majority,” he said, “but unfortunately, the rules are 60. That’s decently arbitrary.”
Currently, 60 votes are required to overcome a filibuster and advance most legislation in the Senate. Invoking the “nuclear option” would allow that rule to be changed with a simple majority, effectively silencing the minority’s ability to block a vote.
On the House side, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed Moreno’s call, saying Republicans should not be afraid to wield power. “As far as worrying that using the nuclear option would damage partisan relations, let’s be real, that ship has sailed a long time ago,” Greene wrote on social media. “There are no partisan relations. Instead, Republicans need to learn how to wield power when they have it and govern.”
Republicans have the votes to pass a House-approved GOP funding bill, but Democrats have blocked it in the Senate, citing the lack of health care protections and social spending provisions. What the GOP does not have is the number of senators needed to eliminate the filibuster.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly dismissed the idea of changing the rules, despite growing frustration among rank-and-file Republicans. “There’s always a lot of swirl out there, as you know, from social media, et cetera, but no, I have not had that conversation,” Thune told reporters when asked if the Trump administration was pressuring him to go nuclear.
Behind the scenes, the tension is rising. The Senate adjourned Thursday without a deal, ensuring the shutdown will stretch into next week. That means members of the military will miss their October 15 paycheck, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers began missing pay this Friday.
The economic toll is starting to build. Travel delays have increased as air traffic controllers and TSA agents work without pay, and local businesses dependent on federal workers are already feeling the strain. Economists warn that if the standoff lasts beyond the next pay cycle, the impact on consumer spending could ripple through the broader economy.
Still, Senate leaders remain wary of detonating a political weapon that could reshape Congress itself. Both parties know the nuclear option could backfire the next time they lose control. For now, the filibuster holds, the shutdown drags on, and pressure on both sides is rising by the day.
