Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said he and the entire Democratic Party were “horribly wrong” to campaign on eliminating the Senate filibuster in 2022, reversing a central position of his successful campaign in a Washington Post op-ed published July 27.
Fetterman campaigned against the 60-vote filibuster rule four years ago, arguing it prevented action on issues voters had elected Democrats to address. In his op-ed, he now contends that ending the filibuster would be disastrous for the upper chamber, which he says should not “become a smaller version of the House of Representatives.”
“It’s not often you hear someone in D.C. admit they were wrong, let alone horribly wrong — and the entire Democratic Party was, including me,” Fetterman wrote. The rule forces compromise and protects the rights of the minority party, he argued, making it critical now that Democrats hold fewer Senate seats.
Fetterman’s reasoning reflects a dramatic shift in political dynamics. During the Biden administration, when Democrats held the Senate majority and sought to pass their agenda, Fetterman and others pushed to weaken the filibuster. Now, with Republicans in control and President Donald Trump pushing to eliminate the rule to pass the SAVE America Act—a voting restrictions bill Fetterman opposes—he sees the 60-vote threshold as essential protection.
He specifically praised former Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who refused to support filibuster elimination during the Biden years and faced significant backlash from their own party. “History has vindicated former senators Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) and Joe Manchin III (West Virginia), two people who were vilified by the Democratic Party for their support of the filibuster,” Fetterman wrote.
Fetterman laid out the stakes starkly. If Democrats had eliminated the filibuster when they held power, he argued, many of Trump’s policies would now be law. “We’d have the SAVE America Act by now, which I do not support. We could have extreme policies such as nationwide abortion restrictions, backpedaling on LGBT rights, repeal of birthright citizenship and limited voting rights across the country,” he said. “With a government trifecta firmly in place, many provisions of Project 2025 would have easily been enacted.”
Trump has aggressively pushed Senate Republicans to end the filibuster, posting repeatedly on Truth Social that whichever party eliminates it first “will be the Party that survives and thrives.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans lack the votes to change the procedural rule, but Trump continues to pressure him to either cancel the August recess or eliminate the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act.
Fetterman’s reversal is part of a broader pattern of centrist positioning since his 2023 arrival in the Senate. He has previously broken with progressive Democrats on Israel policy and immigration enforcement, and his filibuster shift reflects his growing skepticism of Democratic orthodoxy on Senate procedure. His explicit praise for Sinema and Manchin—figures many progressives view as obstructionists—underscores how far his thinking has moved from his 2022 campaign platform.
Sources
- Washington Post — Fetterman’s op-ed stating he and Democrats were “horribly wrong” on the filibuster, published July 27, 2026
- Denver Gazette — Detailed reporting on Fetterman’s filibuster reversal and his reasoning, including quotes about Sinema and Manchin vindication
- Washington Examiner — Coverage of Fetterman’s flip-flop and his argument that the filibuster protects the minority
- USA Today — Confirmation that Fetterman campaigned on eliminating the filibuster in 2022 and now opposes elimination
- The Hill — Reporting on Fetterman’s position that Democrats were wrong to attempt filibuster elimination
