The federal government shutdown has officially become the longest in U.S. history this week, with no clear end in sight as lawmakers continue negotiations on Capitol Hill.
The Senate will convene for a rare Friday session, signaling potential progress after weeks of stalemate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has reportedly proposed a framework to reopen the government, though it remains unclear whether Democrats will support the plan.
Democrats are feeling emboldened following their election victories in Tuesday's off-year elections and may push for additional concessions from Republicans. They maintain that ending the shutdown requires President Donald Trump's direct involvement in negotiations.
PREVIOUS REPORTING | Government shutdown is now longest on record as it enters day 36
"The off-ramp is for the President to get involved and to say to Speaker Johnson, bring the House back in, add a one-year extension to the Affordable Care Act tax credits, and we could be, I suspect we could open within the hour," Democratic Sen. Chris Coons told Scripps News.
Democrats sent Trump a letter demanding a meeting earlier this week but have received no response. Trump has blamed his own party for the ongoing shutdown and Tuesday's election results.
Even if the Senate passes legislation, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed skepticism about bringing a bipartisan deal to a House vote. Any bill would ultimately require Trump's signature to become law and reopen the government.
The shutdown affects millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits and could impact airport operations during the busy weekend travel period.
Filibuster debate complicates shutdown resolution
Trump has renewed calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation. Removing this threshold would allow Republicans to pass government funding with a simple 51-vote majority.
Current shutdown legislation has consistently received 54 to 55 votes, suggesting it would pass under majority rule. However, several Republican senators oppose changing the filibuster rules.
"I don't want to change the filibuster rule simply because every time parties change and you have different presidents in different parties, you'll have wild swings in policy and it'd be very disruptive to the country," Senator Lindsey Graham said.
Republicans worry that eliminating the filibuster could allow Democrats to restore Roe v. Wade, admit Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico as states, and potentially add four Democratic senators to the chamber.
Democrats previously attempted to remove the filibuster during Joe Biden's presidency to restore abortion rights but were blocked by then-Democratic moderates Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, both of whom have since retired.
Thune has stated Republicans lack the votes to change the filibuster rule, despite continued pressure from Trump.
