Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has called for a dramatic shift in Senate procedure, arguing that Republicans should consider ending the legislative filibuster to break a pattern of gridlock and failure in Washington.
In a new opinion piece published Thursday by The Daily Wire, Johnson, a longtime fiscal conservative, said his perspective has changed over his 15 years in the Senate.
“When I arrived in the United States Senate in 2011, the Republican Leader would often paraphrase George Washington who referred to the Senate as the saucer beneath a cup of tea,” Johnson wrote, recalling the chamber’s traditional role as a moderating force on legislation.
That vision, he said, once aligned with his belief in slowing government expansion. But after years of partisan battles, Johnson said he now sees the institution very differently.
“But now that I’ve served within this highly partisan and dysfunctional body for 15 years, I would say a better analogy is the Senate is more like the plaque clogging an artery leading to a heart attack,” he wrote.
Johnson argued the core problem lies in how the filibuster is currently used. While legislation still passes with a simple majority, he noted that the hurdle to even begin debate has effectively become a 60-vote threshold.
“What has changed is the method for ending debate and ‘calling the question’ or voting on final passage,” he wrote.
He pointed to the historical intent of Senate Rule 22, explaining that cloture was meant to end prolonged debate — not prevent it altogether.
“It was never intended to prevent all debate, however, that is exactly how it is now being used,” Johnson said, adding that “a supermajority of 60 votes is routinely required” just to move forward on bills.
The Wisconsin Republican tied the current system to what he called a long record of legislative failure, particularly on spending.
“The resulting record of failure speaks for itself,” he wrote, highlighting missed deadlines on appropriations bills, repeated continuing resolutions, and soaring national debt.
Johnson also warned Republicans that Democrats have already shown a willingness to scrap the filibuster when politically advantageous.
“The Republican conference is divided between those of us who believe Democrats will end the filibuster and are therefore willing to beat them to the punch, and those who think we should risk waiting,” he wrote.
President Donald Trump amplified Johnson’s argument, sharing the senator’s opinion piece on his Truth Social account and writing “TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER” in a separate post.
Given the current state of chaos in the upper chamber, Johnson said maintaining the current system makes little sense.
“In light of the profound dysfunction described above, I’m not sure how things could get much worse by ending the filibuster,” he wrote. “The status quo certainly isn’t working.”
Johnson suggested that eliminating the filibuster could ultimately force lawmakers to find more durable, bipartisan solutions.
“At this point, I’m willing to make that change,” he wrote, calling for a long-overdue “paradigm shift” in how the Senate operates.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.