Even at its liveliest, the U.S. Senate isn't known as a fast-paced place to work. By its very nature, the upper chamber was designed to be less passionate than the House, and the rules it has developed over the years — like the archaic filibuster — have only bolstered its intentionally sclerotic pace. But 2023 has been a real masterwork in how idle the Senate as a body can actually be. Yes, that's often the case in times of divided government. With Republicans in control of the House and President Joe Biden in the White House, Senate Democrats entered the year expecting to be on defense rather than offense. But as the House GOP descended further and further into a state of pure manic dysfunction, there's been even less than expected for the Senate to actually do. This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here. |
