The Senate Plays the Game

From its inception, the US Senate in the Congress was to be the more deliberative body.¹ Created in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, the Senate was crafted to “…give advice and consent to presidents on nominations and treaties, to serve as a court of impeachment, and to have an equal say with the House of Representatives on all legislation.”² Because of the slight Democrat Party majority, this Senate has basically been a ‘rubber stamp’ for anything the Biden administration wants done and a wall to defeat the passing of any legislation the Republican Party dominated House of Representatives wants done. For example, there is no chance that the recently impeached Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, will be tried in the Democrat controlled Senate and removed from office.³ This type of Senate inactivity of course, is not a new feature…a Republican dominated Senate refused to bring President Donald Trump to trial after his impeachment by the Democrat controlled House.⁴

The Senate is led by the long time Democratic Party partisan Chuck Schumer, who may be distinguished as accumulating one of the largest amounts of personal wealth (an estimated $81 million) by any politician over his years in politics, which he entered immediately after he graduated from Harvard Law in 1974.⁵ The Senate Minority Republicans are led by Mitch McConnell, a long-time Senator and big-time political-winds-tester who, after graduating from the University Of Kentucky College Of Law in 1967 entered the Senate in 1985, amassing along the way, personal assets worth an estimated $35 million over his years of political ‘service.’⁶

The Senate has been deliberative; constantly debating many issues of extreme importance to the citizens of their own country without acting on any of it. This may be a symptom of the political pandemic named corruption that appears to run amok in the halls of Congress. President Harry Truman once said, “An honest public servant can’t become rich in politics.”⁷ This might certainly explain the lethargy of Senate leadership who instead of acting when it is needed, wait to see ‘which way the wind blows’ or ‘test the waters’ so they can assure their reelection and continue the cronyism that lines their pockets. For example, while Schumer and McConnell have worked assiduously over the years to accumulate personal fortune, they certainly don’t seem to be as focused on protecting our US southern border. This, of course, is the border that is leaking illegal immigrants at the rate of several thousand a day; many of which, while undocumented for legal immigration are documented to be dire security risks.⁸

There are other borders that the Senate does seem to be concerned with. Just a few days ago, the Senate passed a $95 billion package of aid to support Ukraine and Israel in the wars to protect the integrity of their borders and national sovereignty.⁹ This effort by the Senate was led on both sides of the political aisle by Schumer and McConnell. Meanwhile, these same Senate leaders cannot seem to get concerned enough about the southern border of the US to do anything about it except play political games.¹⁰

We here at I Vote My Vote do our best to provide you, the voter, with the information you need to make an informed decision about your voting and who it is you need to prod or kick out, to get the country’s best interests served. There ARE interests being served by the Senate – Ukraine, Israel, Schumer, McConnell, corporations, other politicians, and countries – they just don’t seem to be serving OUR interests.

BTW, for more information of interest along these same lines, check out the August, 2023 I Vote My Vote blog: Feeding Well from the Public Political Trough.

1. The Idea of the Senate. (2024). The United States Senate. Retrieved from https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/idea-of-the-senate.html
2. Ibid.
3. Weaver, A. & Beitsch, R. (2024). Mayorkas impeachment headed toward Senate graveyard. TheHill.com. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4468588-mayorkas-impeachment-headed-toward-senate-graveyard/
4. Hughes, S. & Wise, L. (2021). Most Republican Senators Reject Constitutionality of Trump Impeachment. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-challenge-trump-impeachment-trial-11611683182
5. Heckman, J. (2024). Chuck Schumer Net Worth (Forbes) $81 Million Assets. NWC.com. Retrieved from https://www.caclubindia.com/wealth/chuck-schumer-net-worth/
6. Mitch McConnell: Net worth, salary, and all you need to know about longest running Republican senator in US. (2023). The Economic Times. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/mitch-mcconnell-net-worth-salary-and-all-you-need-to-know-about-longest-running-republican-senator-in-us/articleshow/102253779.cms
7. Truman, H. and Ferrell, R. Ed. (1980). Off the Record: The Private Papers of Harry S. Truman. Harper & Row, New York.
8. BORDER SECTOR CHIEFS CONFIRM OPERATIONAL IMPACTS OF BORDER CHAOS: INCREASED GOTAWAYS, CLOSED CHECKPOINTS, AND EMPOWERED CARTELS (2023). Homeland Security Committee. Retrieved from https://homeland.house.gov/2023/12/20/border-sector-chiefs-confirm-operational-impacts-of-border-chaos-increased-gotaways-closed-checkpoints-and-empowered-cartels/
9. Foran, C., Wilson, K., Rimmer, M.and Barrett, T. (2024). Senate passes $95 billion package with aid for Ukraine and Israel, setting up showdown with the House. CNN Politics. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/politics/senate-foreign-aid-bill-ukraine/index.html
10. Parti, T. & Hackman, M. (2024). Congress Isn’t Going to Fix the Border. Can Biden? The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/congress-isnt-going-to-fix-the-border-can-biden-8e819275