We’ve established that there is a problem with the US Senate, the problem of inaction and deadlock. But what is there to do about it? No problem should be left unaddressed (even if the Senate itself does that all the time).
We have three pathways, each of which can diverge into different directions.
First, we could do nothing. The Senate is left alone to abdicate its duty to govern, rendering society without leadership to solve problems and creating a leadership vacuum which various groups WILL try to fill via other means, including violence. This of course leaves the problem to fester, and so this option is untenable.
Second, we could #AbolishTheSenate, which is the most radical direction but in many ways the only way to completely uproot the problem. This by no means would be a simple thing, as we would need to have Congress pass a constitutional amendment and then have ALL 50 states (and any future states at the time of amendment) ratify an amendment to #AbolishTheSenate. Or possibly via a new constitutional convention, in which the American people simply adopt an entirely new constitution.
Under no circumstances does anyone think this is a path for the near future, or even in the future of our lifetimes in 2022, but all great goals need a start.
Third, instead of abolishing the Senate entirely, we could seek to abolish the Senate’s powers, privileges, and traditions, returning them to the American people via the House of Representatives, leaving the Senate as mostly an honorary body or formality, similar to how some countries keep constitutional monarchs who have only ceremonial roles in government. A battery of reforms could start with reforming Senate rules, followed by a set of amendments to change the power of the Senate, which likely would need only 75% of states to ratify, not 100%.
The last two pathways are long or eternally long, but they both start at the common point of understanding that the Senate is failing the American people and that we must make change. We need a modern legislature for a modern people in a modern world, and we must start now.
We all may disagree on which way to proceed, and that’s perfectly fine provided we agree that change is necessary. A society that cannot come to decisions about anything other than military budgets is a ticking time bomb. We can agree to take steps to limit the Senate now, and commit to accountability as we go along.
#AbolishTheSenate