alice wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2026 2:35 pm
(Admittedly, having just written that, it *does* seem, to a outsider, to be an accurate description of how the US government works in practice. Not that this invalidates my point, of course.)
For foreign observers— as we have an Administrative Branch and a Judicial Branch, Congress provides the Entertainment and Obstruction Branch.
Essentially, every member feels they can do what they want. They are torn between party, donors, and voters— and their own convictions if any. In opposition they may vote in unison because hey, why not. But even the House is fractious— the very bill under discussion passed with 6 shameful Democratic votes. Republicans have forced out several of their own Speakers.
The Senate, like the Supreme Court, sees itself as an independent power which may bend but not sway to the president. They must be courted— something Trump is not good at. They are somewhat obliged to the party— but it works the other way too. E.g. Susan Collins of Maine is a Republican in a blue state; without her personally, the party loses an important vote. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska won a write-in election against a Tea Party candidate in 2010, so she feels her seat is hers, not the party's. She voted to convict Trump at his impeachment trial. Thom Tillis from North Carolina is not running again and feels free to be a thorn in Trump's side if he feels like it. Ted Cruz from Texas happily makes enemies— Lindsay Graham once commented, "If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate and the trial was in the Senate, nobody could convict you."
This works against both parties: one or two contrarians can sink the most important bill. Obamacare barely passed, in a softened form, due to two obstructionist Senators. In Trump's first term, the Senate was unable to repeal Obamacare.
The Senate likes to pretend it's a collegial body where people communicate across the aisle. Partly for this, most senators don't want to end the filibuster— also, of course, because they know that would be used against them, and it would possibly end their importance.
The only bills that can be passed without the chance of filibuster are "reconciliation" bills— which can
only change budget levels. There are arcane limits on how many of these are possible per year. The House budget resolution is one of these; that in fact is why it is not the SAVE act. Also, to my knowledge, the "budget resolution" part means that an actual detailed bill has to be prepared and pass both chambers.
There is another thing Congress values even more than votes: its summer vacation. This is fast approaching, which makes corralling votes all the harder.
