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The 119th Senate: Trump’s Loyal Court in America’s Declining Democracy [1]

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Date: 2025-01-06

Senator Cynthia Lummis’s proclamation that “Donald Trump is the leader of our party” encapsulates a disturbing reality: the incoming 119th Senate isn’t preparing to govern — it’s preparing to obey. Once heralded as the world’s greatest deliberative body, the Republican-controlled Senate is poised to abandon its constitutional duties, becoming little more than an echo chamber for Trump’s imperial ambitions.

Imagine a legislative chamber where independence is a liability and loyalty to one man is the ultimate virtue. Now stop imagining — it’s already here. For a Senate majority led by figures like Lummis, Mike Crapo, and Bill Hagerty, the chamber’s constitutional mandate to check executive overreach will be replaced with servile devotion to a former/re-elected president. The stakes couldn’t be higher: this isn’t just bad politics — it will be a systemic failure that threatens the foundation of representative democracy.

All Hail the Leader: Trump’s Senate in Action

The guiding principle of this Senate majority won’t be governance — it will be loyalty to Donald Trump. Senator Mike Crapo set the tone early, praising Trump’s “unprecedented energy.” What exactly he’s referencing is anyone’s guess. The chaos of Trump’s tenure? The flurry of lawsuits he inspired? Regardless, such uncritical adulation signals one thing: these senators aren’t here to scrutinize — they’re here to comply.

Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty took the devotion even further, warning that dissent amounts to betrayal. “We’re united behind President Trump,” he declared, as though loyalty to the man supersedes loyalty to the Constitution. Independence? A relic of the past. Hagerty and his colleagues’ job isn’t to represent their states but to amplify Trump’s demands.

And then there’s Lummis, who dispenses with all pretenses by openly declaring Trump as the party’s leader. Her candor might be refreshing if it weren’t so alarming. The message is clear: this Senate will exist not to legislate but to serve as Trump’s political machine.

The Historical Parallels: A Senate in Decline

While Trump’s grip on the GOP is uniquely personal, it reflects a broader trend: the erosion of Senate independence. Over decades, partisanship has overshadowed the chamber’s role as a check on executive power. Trump’s domination of the Republican caucus accelerates this decline, reducing senators to rubber stamps for his agenda.

Such dynamics aren’t unique to the U.S. In autocratic systems worldwide, legislatures often extend a leader’s will, rubber-stamping decisions without question. The United States hasn’t reached this point — but the looming parallels are chilling. When senators are openly willing to subordinate their constitutional duties to one man, they undermine the very principles of representative democracy.

Implications for Governance and Society

What does a loyalty-driven Senate mean for governance? Nothing good. Substantive issues — healthcare, climate change, economic inequality — will be sidelined in favor of partisan theater. Expect endless investigations into Trump’s grievances while actual legislation grinds to a halt.

For the public, this dysfunction will translate to neglect. Constituents facing rising costs, failing infrastructure, and job insecurity, will find their needs ignored. Instead, the Senate will focus on Trump’s vendettas, even when they conflict with the interests of the very voters these senators claim to represent.

The stakes go beyond governance. A Senate that prioritizes loyalty over law sets a dangerous precedent. Should Trump — or any future leader — seek to undermine democratic norms further, this majority is unlikely to resist. Some Republican members’ past actions, such as attempting to overturn the 2020 election, provide little hope for their commitment to the rule of law.

Reclaiming Accountability

The 119th Senate majority won’t be a governing body — it will be a loyalty club. Senators like Crapo, Hagerty, and Lummis are willing to trade their independence for proximity to power, abandoning their constitutional responsibilities.

This capitulation isn’t leadership — it’s submission. If voters continue to reward this behavior, the consequences will be dire: a Senate that can’t legislate, can’t lead, and can’t defend the Constitution it was created to uphold. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

As citizens, we face a choice. Do we demand accountability and protect the Senate’s role in our democracy? Or do we allow this vital institution to spiral into irrelevance? The answer will determine the future of representative governance in America.

~Dunneagin~

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/6/2293906/-The-119th-Senate-Trump-s-Loyal-Court-in-America-s-Declining-Democracy?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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