U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has flipped his position on killing the Senate filibuster rule, which has prevented Republicans from passing a federal government funding bill without negotiating with Democrats.
The move marks a major shift from 2022, when Johnson accused Democrats trying to kill the filibuster of wanting “absolute power.” His about-face happened on the day the federal shutdown officially became the longest in American history.
The longtime Senate filibuster rule requires 60 votes in order for the chamber to pass certain legislation. Republicans currently have a 53-seat majority, requiring buy-in from Democrats for a government funding bill to pass.
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On Wednesday, President Donald Trump told GOP senators to end the filibuster rule or Republicans won’t be able to pass any legislation. Not long after, Johnson announced on social media that Trump is “100% correct.”
“We KNOW Democrats will nuke the filibuster as soon as they’re able to solidify their grip on power,” Johnson said. “We should act first in order to pass laws that benefit the AMERICAN people.”
.@POTUS is 100% correct. We KNOW Democrats will nuke the filibuster as soon as they’re able to solidify their grip on power. We should act first in order to pass laws that benefit the AMERICAN people. https://t.co/QCLYYYsXk4
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) November 5, 2025
That stands in stark contrast to Johnson’s thoughts when Democrats controlled the Senate in 2022 and were trying to abolish the filibuster. At that time, Johnson released a statement saying Democrats were trying to axe the rule “because they want absolute power in the face of bad poll numbers and their own tax-and-spend policies.”
“I voted to prevent a naked power grab by Democrats,” Johnson said in 2022, “and maintain the tradition of the Senate that promotes comity and bipartisan action.”
In an interview with WPR, Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman of Glenbeulah said when he arrived in Congress in 2015, he was surprised the filibuster rule even existed. He said it’s frustrating because it slows down legislation, but said senators he’s spoken with are leery about killing the filibuster.
“I have talked to many senators, more than just Sen. Johnson, and the overwhelming majority — including the most conservative senators who I would have thought would want to get rid of the rule — defend the rule,” Grothman said. “It’s not even close.”
Republicans and Democrats continue pointing blame at one another for shutdown
Filibuster aside, Grothman said the government shutdown is “completely unnecessary” and said he and other Republicans voted to keep the government open under former Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. He said Democrats aren’t willing to do the same under Trump.
The 36-day standoff in Washington comes as Democrats like U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin have demanded Republicans extend enhanced tax credits aimed at keeping Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums down. Republicans have refused to negotiate the extension, which wasn’t included in the GOP’s recent massive tax and spending plan, until after Democrats vote on a “clean” short-term funding bill.
Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., at a news conference on Capitol Hill, Feb. 1, 2023. Alex Brandon/AP Photo
Amid the stalemate, Trump’s administration has refused to release any funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. On Friday, two federal judges ordered the administration to use contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits moving.
On Tuesday, Trump said on social media that he wouldn’t release any SNAP funding unless “Radical Left Democrats open up the government.” Later that day, the administration said it is complying with the court orders and will release contingency funds to do so, but it could take weeks or more before Americans get the assistance.
Grothman said he thought the risk of people not getting SNAP payments would have moved Democrats.
“I had hoped that the delay in food stamps in the last week would kind of shake things up a little bit and cause people to at least allow the government to stay open,” Grothman said.
Overall, Grothman said everyone in Washington “realizes that something’s going to be negotiated” to get the needed votes to fund the government.
In a social media video Wednesday, Baldwin railed at Trump and accused him of doing the bare minimum even with federal judges ordering him to release SNAP funding.
“The judges told him that he could shift resources around to make families whole and ensure that our kids are fed,” said Baldwin. “But again, the president said no and chose to withhold federal funding needed to keep food on the table for Wisconsinites.”
On Monday, a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services noted the Trump administration’s decision to make partial SNAP payments means states have to make significant changes to their benefit systems and payments for November could be delayed by weeks or months. The DHS also said it could result in increased payment errors that could force Wisconsin to repay SNAP funds to the federal government because of a change in Trump’s recent tax and spending legislation.
While Baldwin has raged at Trump and the GOP for causing the shutdown, several Republicans in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation have blamed her, specifically, for voting against a clean funding bill more than a dozen times.
In a statement, Wednesday, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany of Minocqua, who’s running for governor, said the shutdown has caused hardships for families, farmers and businesses. He said he’s done his part by voting for the stopgap bill to fund the government.
“Senator Baldwin has voted 14 times to keep it closed, and it’s time for her to stand with the people of Wisconsin and vote for the clean, bipartisan budget bill so we can get our government up and running,” said Tiffany.
Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany launches his campaign for Wisconsin governor at a renovated barn near Wausau on Sept. 24, 2025. UW-River Falls College Republican member Isa Blett stands on stage behind him. Rich Kremer/WPR
Other Republican members of the state’s congressional delegation also attacked Baldwin, including Rep. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, and Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.
“Me and my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives, and every Republican senator except for one, voted collectively 14 times to keep the government open,” Van Orden told the La Crosse Tribune on Tuesday. “Anybody listening, call Tammy’s office.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee pointed the blame squarely at the GOP, noting in a statement that “Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.”
Rep. Gwen Moore, D-WI., speaks during the Democratic National Convention at the Wisconsin Center on August 17, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Scott Olson/AP Photo
“They have chosen to keep the government closed this entire time rather than govern,” Moore said. “They are letting health insurance premiums skyrocket for millions of Americans, after absolutely devastating Medicaid, known in Wisconsin as BadgerCare.”
A statement from U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, pointed to Democratic sweeps in elections Tuesday night as proof that “Americans are sick and tired of what Trump and Republicans are doing in DC.”
“Speaker Johnson knows that, and it’s why he hasn’t had the House in session since September 19,” said Pocan. “But it’s time to govern and for him to bring us back to open the government, pay our troops and public servants, and lower the cost of healthcare for all Americans.”
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