A Government Shutdown Could Lead to the Last Filibuster

"With the two parties very far apart on terms for a measure to keep the federal government open after funding runs out on September 30, the odds of at least a temporary government shutdown are soaring every day. You would normally think the party that controls the federal government top to bottom would get the bulk of the blame for this development."

"Just as a reminder, senators from each party have recently pursued the "nuclear option" to remove the right to filibuster executive-branch and lower federal-court confirmations ( Democrats in 2013) and Supreme Court confirmations ( Republicans in 2017). But unless Republicans can find some clever way to carve out another limited exception to the power to filibuster legislation, overriding the kind of filibuster that's peeking just over the horizon means killing it altogether."

Parties remain far apart on terms to keep the federal government funded beyond September 30, making a temporary shutdown increasingly likely. Republicans will emphasize that a shutdown would be triggered by a Democratic filibuster of a GOP stopgap spending bill in the Senate. A shutdown can end by compromise, by Democrats abandoning their filibuster, or by Republicans voting to eliminate the legislative filibuster. Senators previously used the "nuclear option" to limit filibusters for confirmations in 2013 and 2017, and reconciliation bills already bypass filibusters. Eliminating the legislative filibuster would require killing it outright unless a new narrow exception is created. The decision may hinge on Republican priorities and Donald Trump's position.

Read at Intelligencer