Calls To Nuke Filibuster, Pass SAVE Act Intensify As Threat of Government Shutdown Increases
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is facing increasing pressure to do away with the filibuster if Democrats seek to force a government shutdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
MSN reports that the odds of a government shutdown by January 31, jumped from 11.5% to 79% on Kalshi and from 9% to 80% on Polymarket.
🚨 Hey @LeaderJohnThune, NUKE THE FILIBUSTER and keep the government open.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 25, 2026
The ball is in your court!
Play offense, not defense! https://t.co/tz88T8Mdue
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), in a statement Saturday night said, “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”
Democratic lawmakers have chosen to double down on their opposition to the funding measure, following the fatal shooting of an anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis on Saturday.
The funding bill has already been passed by the House but still lacks the 60 votes necessary to overcome the filibuster and to pass the measure in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.
The approaching deadline has prompted numerous calls from GOP colleagues to Senate Majority Leader Thune to nuke the filibuster rule, particularly on appropriations bills, and to fund ICE immediately.
In the meantime, House Republicans are strategizing how they can turn the stalemate to their advantage, should Senate Democrats successfully reject the House appropriations.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has indicated that, should those appropriations bills come back to the House, she and other Republican members of Congress will attach rules to the reworked bills that cannot be stripped from the legislation by Senate Democrats.
This means that, in order to reopen the government, Democrats may be forced to vote on and pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
HOLY CRAP🚨If Senate Democrats shut down the government, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and a bloc of Republicans will FORCE them to pass the SAVE Act just to reopen it.
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) January 26, 2026
This is chess, not checkers, and Chuck Schumer is terrible at it.
Here’s the trap. The Senate rejects the House… pic.twitter.com/do6s8T4uHk
Luna explained that, by tying the SAVE Act to any rules package, “That would prevent the Senate from stripping the SAVE Act. It would force them. If they choose to shut down the government, when they choose to reopen it, they will have to choose to simultaneously vote on the SAVE Act.”
The SAVE Act takes direct aim at curbing voter fraud by requiring proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.