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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums70 former U.S. senators in letter: The Senate is failing to perform its constitutional duties
By 70 former U.S. senators
Feb. 25, 2020 at 1:04 p.m. EST
The following signers are all former U.S. senators: Dean Barkley (I-Minn.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), David Boren (D-Okla.), Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), Bill Brock (R-Tenn.), Hank Brown (R-Colo.), Richard Bryan (D-Nev.), James Buckley (R-N.Y.), Roland Burris (D-Ill.), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.), Max Cleland (D-Ga.), William Cohen (R-Maine), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), Jack Danforth (R-Mo.), Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), David Durenberger (R-Minn.), Daniel Evans (R-Wash.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Wyche Fowler (D-Ga.), Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Gary Hart (D-Colo.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Gordon Humphrey (I-N.H.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Bennett Johnston (D-La.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Paul Kirk (D-Mass.), Robert Krueger (D-Tex.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), Bob Packwood (R-Ore.), Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), David Pryor (D-Ark.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Donald Riegle (D-Mich.), Chuck Robb (D-Va.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), Jim Sasser (D-Tenn.), Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Bob Torricelli (D-N.J.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), John Walsh (D-Mont.), John Warner (R-Va.), Lowell Weicker (I-Conn.), and Tim Wirth (D-Colo.).
An open letter to the U.S. Senate:
Congress is not fulfilling its constitutional duties. Much of the responsibility rests on the Senate. We are writing to encourage the creation of a bipartisan caucus of incumbent senators who would be committed to making the Senate function as the Framers of the Constitution intended.
As their first priority, the Framers explicitly entrusted all legislative responsibility in Article I of the Constitution: All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. To the extent that Congress doesnt function as the Framers intended, policymaking is left to the less democratic executive and judicial branches.
Examples of Congress ceding its powers to the executive through the years include the power to regulate international trade, the power to authorize the use of military force in foreign conflicts and, when the president declares national emergencies, the power of the purse. In addition, the partisan gridlock that is all too routine in recent decades has led the executive branch to effectively legislate on its own terms through executive order and administrative regulation. The Senates abdication of its legislative and oversight responsibilities erodes the checks and balances of the separate powers that are designed to protect the liberties on which our democracy depends.
Anecdotally, we have been told by sitting members that the diminished state of the Senate has left them doubting whether there is any point in continuing to serve, and it has caused potential candidates to question whether the reality of Senate membership is worth the considerable effort and expense of running for office.
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This would make a great ad against McConnell in KY.
dem4decades
(11,321 posts)democrank
(11,112 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE !!!!
REPUBLICANS everywhere...
is the truth
Pacifist Patriot
(24,654 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,544 posts)hangaleft
(649 posts)DAMANgoldberg
(1,278 posts)16 Republicans signed this letter, and I am not really surprised by those that did. With few exceptions, they would have been castigated as Not Real Republicans. It's a crying shame that it has come to this.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)An uprising should have happened when McConnell and his cohorts announced that they would make Obama a one-term president.
I should be ashamed for not writing to my senators and demanding they abolish that idea...that it was leading to disaster for our democracy, but I didn't.
Now, we are truly faced with a president who is only winning at being the worst president in U.S. history and he has our hands tied in the senate, as well as the courts. He is scary beyond our wildest dreams and we don't know how to solve the problem. Vote him out? Will our votes count?
The House and the Senate need to do their jobs or get the hell out.
MiniMe
(21,722 posts)Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)The House did a great job in bringing out the truth during the impeachment trial. Many kudos for that. Perhaps they could make more of a stench about the bills rotting on McConnell's desk? McConnell hates publicity. They could publicize daily or weekly lists of the bills and what they cover. Let citizens know why solutions aren't being brought forward for gun safety, prescription costs, election security, etc. Saying there are 400 bills sitting on Moscow Mitch's desk doesn't describe what those bills are for and if we could be remedying grave problems in our country. We aren't paying either party to sit on their hands. Make the wheel squeak!
Those Republican senators who are wimping out to stay away from Trump Trashing, need to stand up and save our country. I hope the Democratic senators are putting pressure on the Republicans to finally get a backbone. The Democrats are trapped by the numbers, but I still believe there are some Republican senators who will consider our country of more importance than Trump OR their own jobs. They just need to be rooted out. I can't believe most are comfortable with the position they are presently in because of their fear of Trump. He's a wimp with a mouth!
Firestorm49
(4,040 posts)Theres no pacifying what wed like Republican politicians to come to realise. They know what theyre doing, and at this point wishful thinking aint going to cut it. We have been defenceless against their plan of shoving law and the constitution up our asses. Nothing can or has been done to curb their plan. Apparently, nothing short of an overthrow is going to stop this Hitleresque administration, which of course Im not advocating.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)True Blue American
(17,995 posts)The House is doing their job. The Republican Senate is not!
maxsolomon
(33,449 posts)So?
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)when he was in the Senate for 3 terms
llmart
(15,565 posts)Maybe Olympia Snowe could have a little chat with her cohort Concerned Susan.
bucolic_frolic
(43,468 posts)Trump, McConnell, Roberts. Been that way awhile. No one else has been allowed to do very much.
Magoo48
(4,722 posts)Oh, and they are tied to IQ45 forever.
Duppers
(28,132 posts)jalan48
(13,909 posts)ineffective they make the Judicial (review only) and especially the Executive more powerful.
geardaddy
(24,931 posts)but am surprised that Joe Lieberman is on there.
GoCubsGo
(32,100 posts)Considering one of the signers is her father.
Firestorm49
(4,040 posts)Viva Rome!!!!!!
democrattotheend
(11,607 posts)Some not even particularly moderate.
I thought Weicker was a Republican?
Mickju
(1,807 posts)And a Democratic majority will do the rest.