Trump again pushes to override filibuster after court orders food aid be paid
Palm Beach, Florida - President Donald Trump again pushed for an end to the filibuster after his administration was ordered by a federal court to fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
"Remember, Republicans, regardless of the Schumer Shutdown, the Democrats will terminate the Filibuster the first chance they get," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
"Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!! BE TOUGH, BE SMART, AND WIN!!! This is much bigger than the Shutdown, this is the survival of our Country!"
An end to the filibuster would potentially break a stalemate in which a supermajority is required to move forward with a stop-gap government funding bill to end the current shutdown.
Trump's call came a day after Rhode Island District Judge John J. McConnell issued a ruling acknowledging the "irreparable harm" that would be caused by a failure to fund SNAP.
McConnell ordered that the Trump administration pay out SNAP benefits on Monday by using the Department of Agriculture's emergency fund.
"There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown," McConnell wrote in the ruling."The President during his first term issued guidance indicating that these contingency funds are available if SNAP funds lapse due to a government shutdown," he said.
Trump on Friday said that he doesn't want to see 42 million Americans plunge into food insecurity due to the loss of SNAP and called on the government to be reopened, blaming Democrats for the ongoing shutdown.
"I do NOT want Americans to go hungry," Trump said on Friday. "Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible."
Cover photo: Collage: AFP/Joe Raedle/Getty Images & Samuel Corum / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
