Politics
Marjorie Taylor Greene: Republicans Must ‘Learn How to Wield Power’ in Government Shutdown Fight
By Jake Beardslee · October 3, 2025
Greene Criticizes Senate Republicans Over Shutdown Strategy
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) accused her own party’s senators of “playing games” with the ongoing partial government shutdown. She urged them to better “wield” their majority power and push through legislation without compromise. Megan Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Calls for the “Nuclear Option”
Posting to X on Friday, Greene argued Republicans should use the “nuclear option” to bypass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. “If Republican Senators wanted to pass the CR and reopen the government they could, by using the nuclear option to override the 60 vote rule and pass the CR with a simple majority vote. We have 53 R Senators,” she wrote. JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Policy Standoff Between Parties
At the heart of the dispute, Republicans accuse Democrats of prioritizing healthcare for undocumented immigrants, while Democrats push for Affordable Care Act subsidies to remain in place. Democrats argue that letting subsidies expire could cause significant premium hikes for U.S. citizens. Kaboompics.com / Pexels
Dismissing Concerns Over Partisan Fallout
Greene downplayed fears that the nuclear option would worsen partisan divides. “And as far as worrying that using the nuclear option would damage partisan relations, let’s be real, that ship has sailed a long time ago. There are no partisan relations. Instead, Republicans need to learn how to [wield] power when they have it and govern,” she said, notably misspelling “wield” as “weld.” Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Extending Her Argument on InfoWars
During an appearance on InfoWars, Greene repeated her call for Republicans to adopt the nuclear option. She argued that budget cuts and layoffs tied to the shutdown should be decided by Congress—not by letting negotiations stall. She also said Republicans risked “punishing” ordinary Americans while sparring with Democrats. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Greene Highlights Tension Between Aid Programs and Immigration Policy
Greene stressed that while Republicans reject funding healthcare for undocumented immigrants, federal assistance programs should not be jeopardized in the process. “We will not fund healthcare for illegals, but helpless women and children on WIC shouldn’t be punished for political fighting in Washington,” she wrote. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons