Tuesday, December 4, 2018

The Longest-Serving Congressman In History Wants To Abolish The Senate

By Andy Campbell

A man who served Congress for more than 59 years says he could fix its broken systems by completely abolishing the Senate.
John D. Dingell, who represented Michigan from 1955 to 2015 ― the longest anyone has ever served in Congress in America ― said in The Atlantic that he can’t stand watching good bills pass a “hyper-partisan House” and then be stymied by the Senate, which is disproportionately weighted by congresspeople in small states.
“With my own eyes, I’ve watched in horror and increasing anger as that imbalance in power has become the primary cause of our national legislative paralysis,” he wrote in an excerpt from his book The Dean: The Best Seat in the House.
“Twice in the past 18 years, we’ve seen the loser of the popular vote become president through the Electoral College formula, which gives that same disproportionate weight to small states, each of which gets two automatic votes for its two senators.”
His answer? Abolish the Senate or combine the two chambers, “and the problem will be solved.”
Though he admits that he’s an “armchair activist” now that he’s out of Congress, he believes he has the answers to the confidence problem in American politics.
A few small changes Congress can make now, he says, are to automate voter registry, publicly fund elections and put an end to minority rule.
“The idea that Rhode Island needed two U.S. senators to protect itself from being bullied by Massachusetts emerged under a system that governed only 4 million Americans,” he said.

1 comment:

  1. I read this Rep. Dingle's screed this morning. His mind and wit are as sharp as ever and he presents good arguments. buuuut ... I don't envision 100 power hungry men and women in the Senate will agree to such a rational suggestion. Not in my lifetime, anyway. His ideas about automatic voter registration and minority rule are valid points to be considered, and Citizens United is a fucking rich man's fraud perpetrated against the common man. NOW .... I need to read that book.
    beej in TN

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