Republicans hold a Senate majority under Majority Leader John Thune, with President Trump repeatedly urging elimination of the legislative filibuster via the nuclear option to advance bills such as the SAVE America Act and resolve an ongoing government shutdown. Thune and multiple GOP senators have resisted full repeal, citing insufficient caucus support and concerns that Democrats would later exploit a simple-majority threshold for statehood, court packing, or other priorities. Recent GOP procedural changes have eased some nomination confirmations, while a bipartisan Daines-Merkley proposal seeks narrower rules adjustments to reduce cloture delays and enable faster floor action on routine or committee-backed measures without abolishing the 60-vote requirement. November 2026 midterms add uncertainty over future chamber control, and historical precedent shows both parties have invoked the nuclear option selectively for nominations but preserved the legislative filibuster.