Full Breakdown
Democratic Socialists of America Unveil Platform to Abolish Senate, Presidency and Supreme Court
7/18/2026, 10:33:58 PM
Core Event
On Tuesday, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) released its new “Workers Deserve More!” platform. The manifesto calls for the abolition of the U.S. Senate, the replacement of the presidency and the Supreme Court with bodies “chosen by and subordinate to Congress,” and the elimination of the Electoral College. The plan also proposes ending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defunding the Department of War, and instituting aggressive wealth taxes.
Background & Context
The DSA has advocated for dismantling ICE since 2018 and has recently gained electoral momentum, with several socialist candidates winning primary contests and securing office. The latest platform follows a series of primary victories that the organization says reflect “renewed energy and a long-term plan to replace what it argues are undemocratic institutions.”
Key Figures & Groups
- Ashik Siddiqu, co-chairman of the DSA, is the primary public defender of the Senate-abolition proposal.
- Michaela Brangan, a drafter of the platform, explained the group’s vision for a new executive structure.
- Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) are among the House Democrats who were asked about the proposal on Fox News Digital.
- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) declined to comment, citing non-membership in the DSA.
Data & Statistics
- Gallup reported congressional approval at 15 % in June, a figure that has not risen above 50 % since 2000.
- 56 lawmakers are slated to retire in the 2026 midterm cycle, the second-highest number in recent decades; 35 of those retirees are Republicans (? 16 % of the GOP House conference).
- The DSA’s platform would require a constitutional amendment under Article V, needing two-thirds approval in both chambers and ratification by three-fourths of the states.
Why It Matters / Impact
If enacted, the proposal would concentrate legislative power in a single, proportionally elected chamber, eliminating the Senate’s equal-state representation and the system of checks that the framers designed to protect minority interests. The redistribution of the Senate’s constitutional duties—such as confirming nominees, ratifying treaties, and conducting impeachment trials—would likely shift to the House, creating a “substantially more majoritarian federal system.”
Official Statements & Responses
The DSA argues the Senate is “very undemocratic” because it gives small-population states the same voting power as states with tens of millions of residents. The organization contends that a proportional House would better reflect the popular will. In response, several House Democrats either declined to comment or said they had not read the proposal, emphasizing that the platform is not a formal part of the Democratic Party’s agenda.
Criticism & Opposition
Legal scholars note that amending the Constitution to eliminate the Senate would face “some of the highest constitutional hurdles possible,” including the requirement that no state be deprived of its equal suffrage without consent. Historians cite the 1787 Constitutional Convention debates, where delegates deliberately balanced population-based representation with state equality to prevent a pure majoritarian rule that could threaten minority rights.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The DSA’s statement that the platform will become a formal criterion for its national endorsements contrasts with the remarks of Rep. Khanna, Rep. Aguilar and Rep. Omar, who said they had not read the document or could not comment. No independent verification of the platform’s internal adoption process is provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don’t support that,” — Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
- “I'm not a member of the DSA, so I can't comment on any documents that they put out,” — Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
- “The Senate represents its two senators per state, and it’s very undemocratic at a basic level because a state with a small population gets the same representation as a state with 40 million people, like California, New York, Texas, or Florida,” — Ashik Siddiqu, DSA co-chair
- “The Senate is a very undemocratic institution,” — Ashik Siddiqu, DSA co-chair
- “Whenever people are like, ‘Oh my God, they want to get rid of the president,’ I was like, ‘Well, I don’t know what we would call it in the future. We could call it the ‘head honcho’ or whatever,” — Michaela Brangan, DSA platform drafter
What’s Next
Any effort to eliminate the Senate would have to navigate the Article V amendment process, requiring two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states. No specific legislative timetable or upcoming hearings have been announced.
