Speaking with Bernie Moreno recently, it’s clear that the U.S. Senate is at a pivotal moment. The government shutdown, now entering its 40th day, has become a crucible for ideological warfare, with President Trump urging Senate Republicans to reconsider the filibuster rule to break the impasse and reshape the future of American governance. I think Trump has a good idea, and that the nuclear option should be used, never to let Democrats have power again, so there is no reason to play nice with them. Democrats, most of them, and around 10-15 Republicans are the enemy of our country and should not be given a seat at the table.
At the heart of the standoff are three distinct factions: a Democrat Party increasingly defined by its progressive wing, a MAGA-aligned Republican base pushing for aggressive reform, and a centrist bloc of senators hesitant to abandon institutional norms. The Democrats, led by figures like Chuck Schumer and bolstered by progressives otherwise known as “communists” such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have refused to support any continuing resolution (CR) that doesn’t include a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. Their strategy hinges on leveraging the shutdown to galvanize their base and preserve key health care provisions. They are not that unlike the terrorists who bombed New York City with the 9/11 terrorist action. If they destroyed commercial air travel to maintain socialized medicine, they are all for it. They would love to harm the economy to slow down Trump ahead of the midterms. These are the same people who wanted to use COVID to shut down the economy during Trump’s last year of his first term. So this kind of economic terrorism is typical for them.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans, under Majority Leader John Thune, have proposed a compromise: advance the House-passed CR and amend it with a “minibus” of three long-term appropriations bills, extending government funding through January 30, 2026. This deal, which has gained traction among at least eight Democrats, includes a future vote on ACA subsidies—a concession aimed at breaking the deadlock. As I have always said, healthcare is a nasty hill to die on, because we are on the precipice of significant changes. The way healthcare is today is not how it will be tomorrow, and the cost structure needs to be completely reinvented. For Democrats, healthcare is about controlling the lives of individual people in a mass way, and has nothing to do with caring for people.
Yet, the filibuster remains the elephant in the room. Trump’s call to eliminate the 60-vote threshold for passing legislation has reignited debate over Senate rules. He argues that the filibuster is a relic that Democrats have weaponized to obstruct progress, and that Republicans must act decisively to secure election reform, border security, and economic stability. “If we do it, we will never lose the midterms,” Trump declared, pressing for one-day voting and voter ID laws. He’s right, there is no reason to play fair with the Democrats. They almost went nuclear during Biden’s term, except for two senators who prevented it. Otherwise, they currently have 49 senators who were willing to go nuclear when they had power, a clear warning sign to Republicans. So, if the shoe is ever on their feet again, they will do it; therefore, there is no reason to play fair now. Don’t give them a chance at terrorism in the future because they are already thinking about it. We are only here now because we dodged a bullet then. Don’t expect that to happen twice.
Despite Trump’s pressure, Senate leadership remains divided. Thune and others have resisted the nuclear option, citing the need to preserve minority rights and avoid legislative chaos. A limited carve-out—lowering the threshold to 51 votes for clean CRs—was floated but appears unlikely to pass.
The shutdown’s impact is severe: over 1,000 flights have been canceled, SNAP benefits have been disrupted, and $5 billion in arms exports to NATO and Ukraine have been delayed. Air traffic controllers are stretched thin, and federal workers remain unpaid. The crisis has exposed the fragility of government-dependent systems and reignited calls for the privatization of critical infrastructure. I’m certainly one of those who think we should not have a government involved in essential services like air traffic control. Airlines should provide their own employees, and they would do a better job. Sticking the government in the middle of critical infrastructure is a really dumb idea. And to make matters worse, the pay scale and attitude of these employees are already poor, as they are unionized, which should be outlawed for all government positions. In a short time, AI will be able to do a much better job with air traffic control than humans anyway, so why should we ever allow the government to stand in the way of human necessity? It’s an incredibly dumb idea.
In this climate, the filibuster debate is more than procedural—it’s existential. For Trump-aligned Republicans, eliminating it is a strategic imperative to prevent Democrats from regaining power and advancing what they view as radical, anti-capitalist policies. For moderates and institutionalists, it’s a dangerous precedent that could unravel the Senate’s deliberative foundation. And that’s where the future of America is anyway, with Democrats moving hard socialist and communist as a party, we can’t let them have a seat at the table. We have to draw the line somewhere. Let the moderates be the new left-wing party, but don’t play nice with the communists and give them fairness. Because they will destroy our country if given a chance, and that is at the heart of the debate. Look at what they have been willing to do with the air traffic controllers. If they can bring down American infrastructure to maintain control over healthcare, then they certainly will. Those kinds of Democrats can never again be allowed to vote for the filibuster rule, because the next time, they will get it. It’s been a race to beat the other to the punch for a long time, and we happen to be fortunate to have this impasse happening while Trump is in the White House.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The outcome will not only determine the fate of the shutdown but may also redefine the balance of power in Washington for years to come, regardless of any short-term CR. Whether the filibuster survives or falls, the political landscape is shifting—and the next chapter in America’s legislative history is being written in real time. And you don’t want to lose your country by playing nice with those who wish to destroy it. It was interesting to speak with Bernie Moreno about his first year as a senator. Of course, we didn’t talk about any of these kinds of details; he’s a very level-headed person who was reporting on the lay of the land in the Senate. But what is obvious is that we already have three parties, and one of them certainly wants to destroy the concept of a capitalist America and to push everything into communist control, much the way China operates. And it’s me saying it, along with Trump, that we don’t want to be a sucker on this, we need to play tough, and forget playing fair. This is a game of beating the other side to the punch, and that other side are radical communists, as exhibited by the newly elected New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani. In a world where people like that are debating the Filibuster, they will go nuclear. We are fortunate to be in a time when fairness still prevails, and we should be wise in utilizing that power while we still have it. Because there is nothing less patriotic than letting hostile agents destroy your country, and in case it’s still not known to the vast majority, the Democrats are the enemy.
Rich Hoffman
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