John Dingell's plan for America? Let's abolish the U.S. Senate

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON — Former Rep. John Dingell, who served in Congress longer than anybody ever, has a plan for improving politics immediately: abolish the U.S. Senate.

Writing in a new biography, "The Dean: The Best Seat in the House," Dingell, 92, makes a case for changing the Constitution to get rid of the upper chamber, criticizing the 18th Century idea that the smallest states have the same number of senators as California.

While it may have made sense in the late 1700s that "Rhode Island needed two U.S. senators to protect itself from being bullied by Massachusetts" at a time when there were only 13 states and 4 million Americans, Dingell says, "today in a nation of more than 325 million and 37 additional states, not only is that structure antiquated, it's downright dangerous."

In the book's epilogue, the former Democratic congressman argues that such a system turns representational democracy on its head, as does the Electoral College, and that both should be gotten rid of, despite the constitutional hurdles of doing so. "But it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? 'Abolish the Senate.' I'm having blue caps printed up with that slogan right now."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/john-dingells-plan-for-america-lets-abolish-the-us-senate/ar-BBQu8WJ?li=BBnb7Kz

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Man makes some good points

but I give it zero chance of happening.

[mucifer]

2. I've been saying that for a while. The system really isn't one person one vote

when every state has 2 senators and the senate is so powerful

[pecosbob]

3. I read a thread about this earlier today.

I think this highly unlikely to happen, but I am amused by all the Dems ready to step up and defend the Senate and the status quo.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. I can't see it happening

but the Senate has become a deeply anti-democratic institution in recent years (mostly because of the GOP) in need of some serious reforms in how it operates.

[spanone]

5. ....

[brush]

6. 3-4 senators for medium sized to larger states. Let the small rural states keep the 2 they have.

Then get rid of the EC. That'll move us more towards fair representation.

The way it is rignt now McConnell is more powerful than trump. He personally has forced two extreme right wing repugs onto the Supreme Court. Getting rid of the 2 senators per state will take away the advantage these small population red states give to turtleman and the repugs.

[Garrett78]

7. Sadly, it won't happen. For the very reason that it needs to happen.

The best we can hope for is increasing the number of Representatives, putting an end to gerrymandering and maybe make DC a state. Puerto Rico, too, though Puerto Ricans have declined in the past.