Story perspectives

DSA Calls for Abolishing Senate, Presidency, Electoral College

7/18/2026

Summary

Story summary

Democratic Socialists of America released the “Workers Deserve More” platform Tuesday, proposing to scrap the Senate, presidency and Electoral College for parliamentary-style system.
Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Pete Aguilar said they had not read the proposal, while co-chair Ashik Siddiqu argued the Senate is undemocratic because state has equal representation.
The plan would need a constitutional amendment approved by two-thirds of both chambers and three-fourths of the states.

History

Historical Context

The push for popular Senate elections began in the 1820s, gained Populist backing in 1892, and after Oregon’s 1908 law the House approved a constitutional amendment in 1911. With Woodrow Wilson and Robert M. La Follette securing a two-thirds vote, the Seventeenth Amendment was ratified in 1913 by 36 of the 48 states, reshaping federal representation—a legacy the Democratic Socialists of America cite in calling for the Senate’s abolition.

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Story summary

Democratic Socialists of America released the “Workers Deserve More” platform Tuesday, proposing to scrap the Senate, presidency and Electoral College for parliamentary-style system.
Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Pete Aguilar said they had not read the proposal, while co-chair Ashik Siddiqu argued the Senate is undemocratic because state has equal representation.
The plan would need a constitutional amendment approved by two-thirds of both chambers and three-fourths of the states.

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