Majority Leader Thune Should Put The Amendment Up For Two-Thirds Vote

Nov. 7, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to put an amendment on the floor to amend Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate to reduce the requirement for cloture from three-fifths to a simple majority:

“The standing rules of the Senate say that in order to amend the Senate rules takes two-thirds of the Senate: ‘on a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules… [a] necessary affirmative vote shall be two-thirds of the Senators present and voting.’

“The President has called upon Senate Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster rules, which currently requires a three-fifths majority to end debate, using the so-called nuclear option, whereby Senate rules are overruled on a simple majority vote. Senate Democrats attempted to do this in 2022 and failed. Today, several Senate Republicans appear unwilling to end the legislative filibuster in this manner, even to end the current government shutdown.

“However, a thoughtful debate on the filibuster might be just what the Senate and the American people really need. Most Americans appear unaware that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass a bill and the regrettable part of that is to ‘blame’ the government shutdown on the party in power, the Republicans, who without changing the rule cannot pass anything on a partisan basis. Democrats want Republicans to try and go nuclear to abolish the filibuster and fail — Democrats will be energized, Republicans divided and demoralized — but there’s another way.

“Instead, Senate Republicans who want to end the filibuster should bring up the motion under Senate rules and then everyone can very publicly debate it and vote on it, Democrats included. They say they want to end the filibuster. They just tried to do it in 2022 via the nuclear option. So make everyone vote on it. Call their bluff.

“Nationwide, Democrats in the Senate not in power will either be alarmed that their own party was voting to give ‘absolute’ power to President Trump, which might demoralize them instead in the 2026 midterms, while others will argue how longer term abolishing the filibuster will ultimately benefit Democrats when they win the trifecta. Make them go on the record explaining why it should always be 60 votes to pass funding bills and everything else. Then make commercials out of it to end the shutdown. President Trump can speak from the Oval Office to end the impasse. The bid might very well fail, only for Democrats to come back and do it later after 2028 or 2032 the next time they have the trifecta. But if there is truly bipartisan support to end the filibuster, then let’s do it by the rules and let’s get on with the business of making America great again. Maybe the filibuster is what’s holding the country back, or maybe the filibuster is the only thing saving it. But let the Senate decide. And then reopen the government.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 6, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement pointing to a 1977 House Report on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that married its language to “regulate… importation” to Section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act:

“President Trump followed the Constitution and the law in implementing his emergency national security tariffs. Both under the original legislative intent and on the language of the statute itself, the House Report on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act is unequivocal that ‘the grant of authorities basically parallels section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act’ including the language to ‘regulate… importation’ that President Richard Nixon used in 1971 to declare a national emergency to address the $2.2 billion U.S. trade in goods deficit and levied 10 percent duties on every trade partner in the world across the board, which was upheld at the time and therefore widely understood by Congress in 1977 to be a valid exercise of that authority when it re-included that exact delegation in IEEPA without amendment. IEEPA uses the same exact language and had the same exact intent as the Trading With the Enemy Act, and we know that because the House report explicitly said so. The House report even addressed Nixon’s 1971 usage and the court decision upholding it explicitly noting ‘the existence of the national emergency [declared by Nixon] made section 5(b) available for purposes which would not be contemplated in normal times.’ Justices don’t even need to guess or wonder what the intent was. It’s right in the report. Read the House report. It’s all in there. The Supreme Court must affirm the President’s unquestionably valid exercise of this authority.”

To view online: https://getliberty.org/2025/11/1977-house-report-said-ieepa-basically-parallels-section-5b-of-the-trading-with-the-enemy-act-that-allows-president-to-regulate-importation-of-goods/

Attachments:

Trading With the Enemy Act Reform Legislation, House Committee on International Relations, June 23, 1977 at https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IEEPA-House-Committee-on-International-Relations-report_1977-copy_clean.pdf#page=17 : “The 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) “defines the international emergency economic authorities available to the President in the circumstances specified in section 202. This grant of authorities basically parallels section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act.” And “the existence of the national emergency [declared by Nixon] made section 5(b) available for purposes which would not be contemplated in normal times.”

1977 House Report: IEEPA ‘Basically Parallels Section 5(b) Of The Trading With The Enemy Act’ That Allows President To ‘Regulate… Importation’ Of Goods, May 30, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/05/1977-house-report-ieepa-basically-parallels-section-5b-of-the-trading-with-the-enemy-act-that-allows-president-to-regulate-importation-of-goods/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 5, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement warning of the strategic consequences if the Supreme Court strikes down President Donald Trump’s emergency, national security tariffs on China:

“We could be at war with China any moment from now, and the strategic situation particular to rare earth minerals will ultimately demand the United States put an embargo on Chinese exports and to secure sources of rare earths for the war effort and as a part of the national emergency the President has already declared. For now, the President has used national security emergency tariffs on China in order to secure trade agreements to keep rare earths flowing for the entire world and, critically, to prevent a much wider conflict. Short of a full embargo, the tariffs give the President the flexibility to negotiate with Beijing, as he was just able to successfully negotiate with Chinese President Xi to keep global trade moving.

“But if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs because Congress was not explicit enough in the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — a distinct possibility — then the President will be left with no alternative but to invoke the same act, charge China with using slave labor and other human rights abuses and threatening national security, and just use the explicit embargo and sanction powers that Congress has also  granted under the same law. These authorities have been used to place a variety of trade sanctions including embargos on North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and other adversary countries who act against U.S. national security interests and threaten international peace and stability. If the President cannot use tariffs, then he might be left with no choice but to cut off trade completely in order to get China back to the table. China threatening the global supply of rare earths is national security threat, and the President has the power to do use economic sanctions to rein that in.

“The result would be escalation,  make resolution of the global supply chain crisis practically impossible via conventional negotiations and ultimately make war more likely. The fact is, Congress has already acted, the President already has all the authority he needs. 50 U.S. Code Sec. 1702 already delegates the power to ‘regulate… importation’ of goods. It’s a political question that the branches have discretion with.

“Besides having to go to embargos and further sanctions, alternately, if the Court forces the issue, then Congress can come back clarify that Presidents have the emergency tariff power when it is needed. Or Congress could act right now, stick clarifying tariff authority in the continuing resolution and make the Supreme Court case moot. Future presidents can thank Trump later.”

Attachments:

“1977 House Report: IEEPA ‘Basically Parallels Section 5(b) Of The Trading With The Enemy Act’ That Allows President To ‘Regulate… Importation’ Of Goods” By Robert Romano, May 30, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/05/1977-house-report-ieepa-basically-parallels-section-5b-of-the-trading-with-the-enemy-act-that-allows-president-to-regulate-importation-of-goods/

“The Judicial Tyranny Undercuts The President’s Ability To Conduct Foreign Affairs As Court For International Trade Strikes Down Tariffs,” By Robert Romano, May 29, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/05/the-judicial-tyranny-undercuts-the-presidents-ability-to-conduct-foreign-affairs-as-court-for-international-trade-strikes-down-tariffs/

“Tariff Ruling Will Bankrupt This Country If Not Overturned,” By Robert Romano, Sept. 4, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/09/tariff-ruling-will-bankrupt-this-country-if-not-overturned/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 1, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement responding to President Donald Trump’s Oct. 30 call on Truth Social to end the Senate filibuster:

“Democrats want Senate Republicans to end the filibuster. That’s why they keep saying Republicans have the votes to pass the continuing resolution. As usual, the question Republicans have to ask themselves is if they are okay with Democrats governing in the same way when they ultimately come back to power, weighing the fact that they already tried to do this in 2022 and failed. Democrats always win the trifecta of the House, Senate and White House when they win the Presidency for the past century. They’ll try again if not after 2028 then after 2032. It’s going to happen and when it does the party looks like it will be even more radical than it is today.

“The key filibuster question for the President and Republicans is whether they are fully prepared to implement an agenda that preemptively offsets what Democrats would do without the filibuster? Make more states? Pack the Supreme Court? If Trump lacks the votes in the Senate to do those things specifically, then there will be no offset for when the Democrats come back to power, pack the House with illegal aliens in the Census and with mass amnesty, pack the Senate with more blue states like D.C. and Puerto Rico and pack the Supreme Court. Medicare for all? You name it, they’ll do it. Is it worth the cost?

“Another factor to consider are the 2026 Congressional midterms. Senate races will matter a whole lot more without the filibuster. Maybe that can be beneficial in boosting turnout, but the President should be careful what he wishes for. Could abolishing the filibuster galvanize the opposition? Or would the public just shrug?

“The President must also be able to count to 50 in the Senate. If he truly has the votes to abolish the filibuster on legislation, then the American people expect there to be substantial reforms. There’s no turning back. Can he get voter identification with a citizenship requirement in every federal election? Or expand presidential tariff authorities to make the Supreme Court case moot? Restructure Social Security to get a better return on investment? Offer big baby bucks (needs to compete with long term benefits of college degrees so do the math) to end the fertility collapse once and for all? Spend money to reindustrialize America rapidly and modernize the military? Reform the federal civil service and bureaucracy? Intel reform? Dismantle weaponization? End DEI and ESG? If we’re breaking the filibuster, it better be for something more important than a clean continuing resolution, because when the other side gets back into power, they will do the same thing.

“The only reason to do a clean continuing resolution is to preserve bipartisan oversight of Congressional appropriations and to allow time for appropriators to work. If the parties want to continue to govern in a bipartisan way, then keep the Senate filibuster and reopen the government. If not, the sky’s the limit — and that’s the problem. That goes for both sides. This is irreversible. It’s like Daffy Duck eating the gunpowder and swallowing the match. You can only do it once.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Oct. 28, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement echoing calls by the American Federation of Government Employees for Congress to end the government shutdown by passing a clean continuing resolution:

“Democrats are increasingly divided over the Democrat-led government shutdown to extend expanded Obamacare tax credits and to lift prohibitions on illegal aliens getting government health care, which isn’t going anywhere. The latest crack in the Democratic coalition comes as the American Federation of Government Employees, which hasn’t endorsed a Republican for president since Richard Nixon, calling on Senate Democrats to end the government shutdown by passing a clean continuing resolution and sending all federal employees back to work — to pass the Republican bill. They’re right. In fact, it is not too late for Congress to do just that, and to sit down with President Donald Trump to come to agreement on the twelve appropriations bills to fund the government for the current fiscal year that reflects the President and the Republican majorities’ priorities. Or else just pass another year-long continuing resolution. Whereas, every day that goes by with the government hopelessly shut down, the more likely most federal workers will ultimately be laid off by the President because Congress, by doing nothing, defunded them, creating a ‘shortage of funds’ triggering mandatory, emergency reductions in force. Time is clearly running out for Democrats hoping to keep federal workers on the job.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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The Private Sector Can End The Government Shutdown

Oct. 25, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging the Senate Democrats to end their government shutdown:

“Democrats think they can keep the government shut down indefinitely until they get what they want on expanded Obamacare tax credits and ending prohibitions on illegal aliens accessing public health care, choosing not to cooperate with President Trump and Congressional Republicans. What they haven’t considered is that President Trump and Republicans can do the same thing, and choose not to cooperate with the opposition party as Congress grinds to a halt on appropriations for the foreseeable future.

“The President could offer a Nov. 21 deadline to Democrats to reopen the government and sit down to talk — that’s when the House passed continuing resolution would expire if it ever passes. After that, they don’t get shit. Nobody does. The President and Congress could just opt to shut down the government for a year or more and see how the government operates without Congress being involved. Run the government without any discretionary appropriations whatsoever and just run the mandatory spending programs after the President conducts a thorough review of the federal law of what Congress has required must run even in the absence of discretionary appropriations, reprogramming revenues and funds on an emergency basis to keep things afloat. Maybe not borrowing so much money for a little while helps interest rates to drop as demand for treasuries increases.

“In the meantime, the President and the private banking sector can end government shutdowns once and for all. All the President needs to do is work his art of the deal with big banks to lend to excepted workers, loans totaling the sum of their salaries, until Congress gets its act together. The workers are legally guaranteed backpay with interest as soon as the shutdown ends, and so they’ll just repay the loans when they finally get paid. The banks could even require that they do so as a condition for the loan. Banks, which are already getting involved voluntarily to assist federal workers, can bundle the worker bridge loans as securities, which are legally guaranteed to pay and are as good as gold, to keep the program liquid. The longer the shutdown goes on, the more interest will accrue for the backpay (banks can split it with the workers or whatever), causing the speculative value of the securities to increase. It’s a win-win, causing Senate Democrats to lose leverage in the shutdown. If it works, maybe Congress never again tries to hold the economy hostage like this and the government can get back to work.”

Attachments:

5 U.S.C. § 5596(b)(2)(A) An amount payable under paragraph (1)(A)(i) of this subsection shall be payable with interest. (B)Such interest—(i)shall be computed for the period beginning on the effective date of the withdrawal or reduction involved and ending on a date not more than 30 days before the date on which payment is made; (ii)shall be computed at the rate or rates in effect under section 6621(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 during the period described in clause (i); and (iii)shall be compounded daily. (C)Interest under this paragraph shall be paid out of amounts available for payments under paragraph (1) of this subsection. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/5596

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Oct. 23, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging the Senate Democrats to end their shutdown:

“It’s never actually happened before since long government shutdowns are rare but I wonder what the political consequences would be if a recession happened right now? We need data. We’re flying the U.S. economy blind right now. Don’t markets need this data? Doesn’t the Fed? Unemployment has increased by 1.6 million since Jan. 2023, which followed the peak inflation seen in 2022—and who knows what is now? Don’t Democrats want to know what the inflation is so they can complain about it? Policymakers here and around the world are missing key indicators that are essential to setting interest rates and conducting foreign exchange, nothing to be toyed with. If nothing else, we have an obligation to our trade partners to tell them what is going on with the economy or else they might start hiding data, too. Right now everyone’s guessing. The President should start to articulate strong economic consequences that could unfold the longer Democrats’ desperate gambit to hold the economy hostage because they lost the election goes on.

“No, you don’t get Obamacare 3.0 for failing to do your jobs and funding the government! Yes, that’s what losing the election means. Democrats should reopen the government now and sit down with the President, or if the economy really was in trouble, which by the way there are higher odds than usual, it’ll fall on their heads.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Oct. 21, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging the Senate to pass the clean continuing resolution and end the government shutdown:

“Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are approaching a point of no return with their ill-advised government shutdown. Reductions in force are mandated under federal law and regulations when there is a ‘shortage of funds’, which Congressional Democrats have artificially created. Congress in its infinite wisdom has never thought beyond compensating excepted and unexcepted employees after a lapse in funding ends, always assuming that Congress will pass the funding bill within a sufficient amount of time — the longest partial shutdown ever was 35 days — and thus has left open to interpretation what legally must happen during a prolonged lapse in funding.

“For example, what if a government shutdown went on for months or a year or two? Would the argument be that the people who are no longer working or getting paid somehow must be allowed to keep their positions? It’s a ludicrous position.

“The Constitution is clear in Article I, Section 9 that no funds may be spent except from appropriations originating in the House of Representatives. Well, right now there are no discretionary appropriations originating from the House, because the Senate Democrats are filibustering the clean continuing resolution in a desperate bid to indefinitely continue expanded tax credits for 24 million Obamacare exchange recipients and to put illegal aliens back on government health care rolls. But emergency shutdown processes at the federal government cannot continue indefinitely. There is some notice required to implement reductions in force, however, at a certain point, the shortage of funds will mandate that there’s nothing left for the government to do but to start laying non-essential employees off. And that’s just the beginning. What then?

“At a certain point, if Congress cannot function in fulfilling its Article I responsibilities because 41 Senators are holding up funding, either the Senate will have to vote to override standing Senate rules and the filibuster as they’ve done for presidential appointments — which could be a really bad idea — or else the President will be required to declare a national emergency.

“Most spending is mandatory spending: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, the military, etc. and somebody has to be there to spend it. The President is required to keep the mandatory functions of government running regardless of what Congress does. The Anti-Deficiency Act provides for ‘excepted’ employees but the law only contemplates post-lapse compensation. In the meantime, involuntary servitude is strictly forbidden by the 13th Amendment. The Treasury is still collecting revenue. Under the 13th Amendment, after a prolonged shutdown, no matter what the excepted employees will ultimately have to be paid. They are not slaves. The Anti-Deficiency Act would not be able to overcome the 13th Amendment in the event of an indefinite lapse of funding. It would unconstitutional to not pay them and so, under the emergency, the President would ultimately have to pay them.

“The bottom line is the President is compelled under Article II to execute the laws. If Congress simply doesn’t pass a budget, then he will still have to carry out his responsibilities, eventually be compelled to declare an emergency, pay for the mandated functions including the employees and military since under the 13th Amendment they cannot be compelled to work without pay forever — effectively creating new contracts for the excepted employees — and operating the government on a constitutional albeit emergency basis until Congress decides not to abdicate its own constitutional responsibilities. To bridge the gap, the Treasury could tap the $7.57 trillion in intragovernmental holdings of U.S. treasuries, replenishing them once funding resumes.

“Otherwise, Congress could just overthrow the government simply through a lapse of funding. But that’s not what would happen. Just like Social Security payments continue amid the shutdown, under the emergency, the President will eventually have to define the scope of the functions Congress has already mandated must occur, including military readiness, and see to their continued implementation. Just as if Congress were somehow incapacitated in a terrorist attack, the President would still be required to continue operating the government until new elections could be held as a matter of the continuity of government on an emergency basis, and so too must the President continue the mandated functions of government in order to protect national security, prevent against an economic collapse and to fulfill constitutional responsibilities to federal employees to pay them for working in the event of a prolonged shutdown. After that, it gets even better. The question is do Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries want to find out?”

To view online: https://getliberty.org/2025/10/emergency-reductions-in-force-absent-congressional-appropriations-will-be-the-only-option-in-the-end/

Attachments:

“Going Nuclear: Democrats Are Hoping Republicans Will Irreversibly Abolish The Filibuster,” By Robert Romano, Oct. 5, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/10/going-nuclear-democrats-are-hoping-republicans-will-irreversibly-abolish-the-filibuster/

“Yet Another Poll Shows Democrats Trailing Republicans Among 2024 Voters In 2026 Midterms As Shutdown Grinds On,” Oct. 20, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/10/yet-another-poll-shows-democrats-trailing-republicans-among-2024-voters-in-2026-midterms-as-shutdown-grinds-on/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Oct. 16, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) today released findings in an exposé, “Union Bosses vs. MAGA: Irreconcilably Hostile to Republicans,” revealing a deep and troubling disconnect between the political agenda of major labor union leaders and the rank-and-file members they claim to represent.

The report documents how union bosses have launched a coordinated, scorched-earth campaign against President Donald Trump and his pro-worker agenda despite widespread support for the President among working-class Americans that helped him win in 2016 and 2024 particularly in the Rust Belt, including many union members.

“This is not just political posturing, it’s a full-blown war by an elite class of union bosses against the very workers they’re supposed to serve,” said Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano. “While President Trump fights to lower taxes, secure our borders, and protect American jobs by putting America first on trade, union leaders are wasting their members’ hard-earned dues to bankroll a radical resistance campaign against the President who has done the most in decades to support American workers.”

Key Findings from the Report Include:

• Weaponizing Union Dues to Fund Lawfare and the President’s Fiercest Opponents: The report details how unions have filed over 40 lawsuits to obstruct the administration’s agenda and funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into political contributions—with nearly 90 going to Democrats in the 2023–24 cycle. This includes support for politicians like New York AG Letitia James, who have led legal attacks against President Trump.
• Scorched-Earth Resistance from Day One: Union leaders from the AFL-CIO, SEIU, Teamsters, and UAW launched an aggressive campaign of “unremitting hostility” within hours of Trump’s re-election, escalating after his inauguration.
• Opposition to Pro-Worker Policies: Union bosses have actively fought against government reform, pro-family tax and energy policies, trade protections, and immigration enforcement – policies that have directly benefited working Americans.

“Union leadership today is irreconcilably hostile to Republicans and the Trump agenda,” Romano said. “They’re not just opposing policies, they’re funding a political machine that undermines the very workers they claim to represent. It’s time for lawmakers and the public to stand with the American worker and hold these union bosses accountable.”

The full briefing paper is available now on the Americans for Limited Government website.

Attachments:

“Union Bosses vs. MAGA: Irreconcilably Hostile to Republicans,” Americans for Limited Government, Oct. 16, 2025 at http://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Union-Bosses-vs-MAGA-Oct-2025.pdf

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Oct. 9, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement praising President Donald Trump’s brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas that will begin with a ceasefire, the release of hostages still held in captivity and prisoner exchange:

“President Donald Trump has done the seemingly impossible to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with the release of the remaining hostages and a prisoner exchange after two years of fighting that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when the peace was first broken. This is an historic accomplishment that, if it holds, could be the start of a new chapter of peace in the Middle East. There is nothing left to fight over, and it can all start in a new direction for the entire region, if all parties will it to be, acknowledge one another’s interests and especially Israel’s right to exist. Without that there could never be peace, but that begins with the hostages and the remains of those who were taken, who have a right to be returned to their home in Israel. From there, more steps will be taken towards what could be a new era but only if the good will that brought about this agreement and a stop to the killing can hold, with God’s grace. I believe President Trump will enforce this agreement on all parties, for he was the honest broker that made it possible, never neutral but singularly interested in stopping the killing. Peace is in every human and every country’s interest, and every person has the right to live in peace and to be left in peace.

“President Trump took a political risk that this might not work but his peace through strength is not just his work, it is the work of us all — today, he wrote, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ — and that is why he used every tool at his disposal to make this possible. He did it his way. Again, there is nothing left to fight over. Iran’s nuclear program is destroyed. Israel stands. And there are years of bitter war that can now all end, but only if the countries of the region establish diplomatic relations, adopt the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel — so that this all never happens again. Remember this moment and make it last. It is time to rebuild and forge a new path. Some of you will not know how to stop fighting but know that President Trump will enforce this agreement.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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