Trump and one GOP senator call for 'nuclear option' to pass wall funding. But Jeff Flake and others will stop it

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a spending bill that will avert a government shutdown and pay $5.7 billion toward construction of a border wall after President Donald Trump declared he would not sign a bill that did not include wall funding. Now that this legislation moves to the Senate, where it will likely fail to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster, President Trump is calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to invoke the "nuclear option" and end the filibuster.

Trump's demand was echoed by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.

Changing the rules of the United States Senate to end the filibuster will require a 51-vote majority agreeing to the changes. As it stands now, with 51 Republicans in the Senate, every single GOP senator would need to vote for the rule change to invoke the nuclear option.

At least three Republicans have publicly announced they will not vote for the nuclear option.

The nuclear option is not happening in the United States Senate. Fortunately, there are other ways to overcome a Democratic filibuster and pass wall funding, if McConnell is willing to have the fight.

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