Do we really need a Senate?

[candycorn]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the Senate is even there. It's role could easily be assumed by the House, of which, the people have much more control.

The Senate is totally disfunctional, totally useless, and I think we would be much better off without the body.

 

[FA_Q2]

Yes we do. The entire point of the constitution is limiting the government’s powers and one key to that is the separation of powers. Combining the senate with the house only serves to consolidate that power.

Now, I would agree that one KEY job that the senate was supposed to fill has been obliterated and that is yet another problem that we face today. The entire point of the senate was that they were to represent the states interests and not the general people’s interests. The house was for the people, the senate was for the states. When we passed the 17th amendment, that entire concept was ruined and it lead to the current setup that we have now with the states being little more than extensions to federal power, not competing interests like they are supposed to be. This is more examples of divided powers coalescing. IMHO, that is really bad for the nation as a whole.

Here we are, 101 years after its ratification, and people such as yourself are now wondering what the senate is even for. Very unfortunate.

 

[Mad Scientist]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the Senate is even there. It's role could easily be assumed by the House, of which, the people have much more control.

The Senate is totally disfunctional, totally useless, and I think we would be much better off without the body.

We have Obama and the U.N. so both the House AND Senate are redundant.

 

[nodoginnafight]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the Senate is even there. It's role could easily be assumed by the House, of which, the people have much more control.

The Senate is totally disfunctional, totally useless, and I think we would be much better off without the body.

The Senate was established as an equalizer for rural colonies who feared that an urban majority would cram things down their throat. (Same story with the electoral college which is also slightly skewed to provide more representation to rural citizens).

(for example Alaska, Delaware Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Vermont have only one U.S. Representative - but they have two senators).

So it depends on where you stand on that. If you are a rural voter, you probably like the U.S. Senate and the Electoral College (in principle anyway, if not this specific Senate) and if you are an urban voter, you probably resent the over representation of rural voters.

As for your assessment of dysfunction - it seems to me that the U.S. Senate has some rules (41 senators can block measures) that might address that issue a little better than desolving the Senate altogether. As a general rule, I'm very skeptical of radical, knee-jerk changes.

 

[Cookie]

If we over-turned the 17th amendment to the Constitution and returned the appointment of Senators to be decided by the state, not the general public, you would understand the need for them much better. We'd also have a much better run givernment. Progressives messed up the way our givernment was designed by the founding fathers.

 

[nodoginnafight]

If we over-turned the 17th amendment to the Constitution and returned the appointment of Senators to be decided by the state, not the general public, you would understand the need for them much better. We'd also have a much better run givernment. Progressives messed up the way our givernment was designed by the founding fathers.

Having a state legislature appoint senators smacks of cronyism and elitism. The direct election of senators seems a lot more in keeping with the ideals of democracy to me.

But that's just MHO.

 

[rightwinger]

This Senate demonstrates every day that we do not need them

 

[nodoginnafight]

This Senate demonstrates every day that we do not need them

How long has this been going on? Is it THIS particular group of Senators you disapprove of - or just the institution in general?

 

[rightwinger]

This Senate demonstrates every day that we do not need them

How long has this been going on? Is it THIS particular group of Senators you disapprove of - or just the institution in general?

Ever since Obama got elected and one Republican Senator declared the mission of the Senate to make Obama a one term President

 

[rightwinger]

The Senate today is the place that bills go to die

 

[legaleagle_45]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the Senate is even there. It's role could easily be assumed by the House, of which, the people have much more control.

The Senate is totally disfunctional, totally useless, and I think we would be much better off without the body.

Impossible to do away with from a pragmatic standpoint.

 

[nodoginnafight]

This Senate demonstrates every day that we do not need them

How long has this been going on? Is it THIS particular group of Senators you disapprove of - or just the institution in general?

Ever since Obama got elected and one Republican Senator declared the mission of the Senate to make Obama a one term President

Well, I think it was more than one who was in on it, but that's politics.
So maybe tossing out the filibuster would be a better idea than tossing out the whole institution.

 

[Gardener]

The Senate is disfunctional because the Republicans are filibustering EVERYTHING!!!

judicial nominees, executive appointments, even selecting reconciliation members to pass a damn budget!!!!!!!!!

 

[eagle7_31]

This Senate demonstrates every day that we do not need them

How long has this been going on? Is it THIS particular group of Senators you disapprove of - or just the institution in general?

Ever since Obama got elected and one Republican Senator declared the mission of the Senate to make Obama a one term President

Wrong. Bob Woodward in a recent book had the FULL McConnell text which he said Obama also has to learn to compromise otherwise he could be one term President.

While I have no use for McConnell for other reasons, that was taken by lwing liars and played in the press like a pipe organ.

 

[Oddball]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the Senate is even there. It's role could easily be assumed by the House, of which, the people have much more control.

The Senate is totally disfunctional, totally useless, and I think we would be much better off without the body.

Hell, why don't we just declare Obiedoodle the fucking King and be done with letting the peasants have any say in anything?

 

[Gardener]

Maybe if the Republicans stopped filibustering every fucking piece of legislation, every judicial nominee, every executive appointment, the Senate would be more functional.

 

[Oddball]

The Senate is disfunctional because the Republicans are filibustering EVERYTHING!!!

judicial nominees, executive appointments, even selecting reconciliation members to pass a damn budget!!!!!!!!!

Good thing democratics were above such chicanery when Chimpy Bush was prez.

Oh, wait.....

 

[Oddball]

This Senate demonstrates every day that we do not need them

How long has this been going on? Is it THIS particular group of Senators you disapprove of - or just the institution in general?

Since 2009.

 

[Jarhead]

Maybe if the Republicans stopped filibustering every fucking piece of legislation, every judicial nominee, every executive appointment, the Senate would be more functional.

I don't know...I look around and I see many appointees that have been voted on. Heck, 2 SCOTUS appointees with none turned away. Every cabinet position for the first term...SoS for the second....SoT for the second...all big time positions.

So the opposing party doesn't like a few potential appointees.....

And YOUR party has you believing they blocked them all.

What is it like to support a party that knows you are so naïve that you will believe anything they say?

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the Senate is even there. It's role could easily be assumed by the House, of which, the people have much more control.

The Senate is totally disfunctional, totally useless, and I think we would be much better off without the body.

Why not get rid of the Senate, The House and do away with elections all together? Shred the Constitution and the Bill of Rights while you're at it too.

You've got Obama ruling by executive order - bypassing the three branches of government.

You've got Obama ignoring Constitution and Bill of Rights repeatedly.

You have fixed elections such as the one we witnessed with Al Franken and we are about to witness part 2 with Wiener getting in the same way. Keep counting those votes until Obama's guy gets installed.

The truth? It's a deception to continue to have a Senate, a House, A constitution, bill of rights and election system when the reality is all of this became obsolete the moment the communists installed King Obama. He is so obvious - look at how he involved himself in the Zimmerman case and is now trying to overthrow the verdict of a jury!

Truth is when a verdict comes down? I accept it. Whether I agree with it or not. This is common sense and the law of the land - both of which Obama admin would prefer Americans toss out the window!

- Jeremiah