Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) claimed Sunday that Republicans need to “nuke” the filibuster on their watch because the Democrats don’t respect it — and because they will likely try and do the same thing when they’re back in the majority.
“Democrats will… nuke the filibuster to maintain their power. It’s all about power with Democrats,” Johnson told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo, who asked, “Does John Thune, the Leader, not expect the Democrats to talk about it when they return to power?”
“I’ve got to believe every Republican believes they’ll do that,” Johnson said. “Listen, I wish the Democrats respected the filibuster. It’s a good thing for the institution, but they don’t. So you have to recognize that reality…And that’s basically what President Trump is saying. We have to recognize that reality if we want to do good things for the American public, we better end the filibuster on our watch.”
“Well, why don’t you take a vote on it?” Bartiromo asked.
Johnson responded:
I actually proposed that to Leader Thune as soon as we won the majority: ‘Let’s take a vote on the filibuster. Let’s see if Democrats are really serious if they want to get rid of the filibuster with President Trump in office.’ Maybe our first strategy ought to be try and change the rules the way the Senate should change the rules with 67 votes. Take that vote — It’d be very interesting — are Democrats dedicated to nuking the filibuster when the other side’s in power or not? Be about the only thing that would restrain them from nuking it when they got power if they’re on record as saying no when President Trump was in office.
Johnson admitted that he probably doesn’t have enough support in the Republican Party to get rid of the filibuster now.
One senator who has spoken against the “nuclear option” is John Kennedy (R-LA), who told CNN he defied the president over the issue during a phone call.
“He called me, I explained to him, I said, Mr. President, the job of a senator is not just to advance good ideas. The job of the senator is also to kill bad ideas,” Kennedy said.
Although Kennedy said he spoke with Trump before the president’s trip to Asia, Trump has continued to pressure Republican senators.
On Saturday, the president wrote on Truth Social, “It’s time for Republican Senators to stop playing games with the Radical Left Democrats and TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, IMMEDIATELY OPEN OUR COUNTRY, AND PASS GREAT COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION!”
Watch the clip above via Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News.
The post Ron Johnson Argues The GOP Must Blow Up The Filibuster Now Because ‘Dems Will Nuke it The Minute They Get Power’ first appeared on Mediaite.
