U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson | Johnson's Facebook page
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson | Johnson's Facebook page
A Senate vote failed to change the chamber’s filibuster rules, voting 48-52 against the change.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) tweeted Jan. 19, highlighting his vote against the Senate Democrats’ attempt to change the chamber’s filibuster rules.
“It’s up to the Senate to vote to protect our institutions and the voice of every American. Tonight I voted to prevent a naked power grab by Democrats and maintain the tradition of the Senate that promotes comity and bipartisan action,” Johnson wrote in a statement, shared in his tweet.
Just two Democrats opposed the filibuster change with 48 in favor of it. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) voted with every Republican senator to bar any changes to the filibuster rules.
To be successful, all 50 Democrats on the Senate would have needed to vote in favor of the change. Its passage would have enabled lawmakers to bring back a talking filibuster to introduce a voting rights bill, including the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The change has allowed senators to pass the voting rights bill with a simple majority.
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