Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent didn’t hold back during his appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, laying into Democrats for their role in the recent 43-day government shutdown that ended just over a week ago. The impasse, which ran from October 1 to November 12, stemmed from Senate Democrats filibustering a Republican-backed funding bill, leading to widespread disruptions.
Bessent pointed to the economic toll, stating the shutdown inflicted “$11 billion in permanent economic damage” and “an estimated 1.5 percentage points in lost GDP growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.” He also noted “9,500 canceled flights” and the withheld paychecks of “1.4 million federal workers held for ransom by the left’s demands.”
In his Washington Post op-ed published Sunday, Bessent described the filibuster as a “historical accident that has evolved into a standing veto for the minority and a license for paralysis.” He argued it “no longer serves the country,” allowing “the minority party can abuse the filibuster to the point of rendering the Senate almost useless as a deliberative body.”
Bessent’s comments echoed President Trump’s repeated demands to scrap the 60-vote threshold, especially amid the shutdown. Trump has warned that Democrats “are going to do that” when they regain power, urging Republicans to act first to pass priorities like voter ID laws, border security measures, and tax cuts. During the stalemate, Trump pulled out a list of potential bills, including banning mail-in voting, reforming cashless bail, and ending taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants.
The secretary called out Senate Republicans, saying his piece was meant to put them “on notice” ahead of the January 30 funding deadline. “The Democrats haven’t been able to stop President Trump in the courts, they haven’t been able to stop him in the media, so they had to harm the American people,” Bessent said, referencing the GDP hit and $11 billion cost.
He added, “They don’t care,” and suggested questioning Senator Amy Klobuchar on whether she would “adhere to the filibuster and whether she will close the government,” recalling her past efforts to abolish it in 2021 and 2022.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has pushed back, insisting the filibuster change is “just not happening” and lacks the votes. But Bessent framed the reluctance as ignoring “basic game theory,” comparing it to the prisoner’s dilemma where consistent cooperation against betrayal leads to loss.
The shutdown’s end came after Trump signed a short-term funding extension through late January, but tensions linger. Some see the Democrats’ strategy as more than fiscal disagreement—Ezra Klein’s New York Times column reportedly revealed it as an attempt to halt what they view as authoritarian moves by the administration. With Republicans holding the House, Senate, and White House, the filibuster remains the last barrier for minority obstruction.
As January approaches, Bessent’s warning rings clear: if Democrats force another closure, Republicans should “immediately abrogate the filibuster” to safeguard the nation’s operations and advance the agenda voters supported.
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