Racine Sun

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) voted 'no' Jan. 19 to change Senate filibuster rules.

“Tonight I voted against Senate Democrats’ radical attempt to destroy Senate  filibuster rules,” the senator tweeted.

A filibuster is used to prolong a debate on legislation to delay its passage or prevent passage altogether. It is sometimes described as "talking a bill to death."

It currently takes 60 votes to end debate.

In 2017, Democrat Senators signed a letter in support of preserving the filibuster, Johnson said.

"Twenty-seven are still serving in the Senate and one is now vice president," he said in a statement. "Democrats used the filibuster just last week to block sanctions on [Russian Presiden Vladmir] Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. So why do Democrats now want to destroy the filibuster? It’s not about preserving voting rights, those rights are well established and protected. It’s because they want absolute power in the face of bad poll numbers and their own tax-and-spend policies."

The policies have led to record inflation, high gas prices, rising crime and empty store shelves, Johnson said.

"It is up to the Senate to vote to protect our institutions and the voice of every American," he said.

Johnson called the Democrats' attempt to change filibuster rules "a naked power grab."