Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) is calling for the Senate to change its rules amid Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) continued blockade of over 300 military promotions continues.
“I wish the Senate would change their rules so that one senator doesn’t have that kind of power, so that we actually would have a democracy where you have a fair vote,” Smith said of the upper chamber of Congress in an interview on CNN.
He added that it’s clear to him that Tuberville doesn’t believe in democracy.
“He doesn’t believe in the system of government that we’ve set up,” Smith argued. “You have a vote, you lose you move on.”
Smith, who served as a state senator in Washington in the 1990s, called the House Freedom Caucus and Tuberville’s approach to governance “incredibly destructive.”
“What he and the Freedom Caucus believe is ‘if you don’t get what you want, do as much damage as you possibly can’ to the government,” he said.
“In this case, it’s incredibly destructive to the defense of this country, to the national security of this country, to not be able to have top leaders appointed to their position nearly undermines our ability to protect this country bottom line, Smith added.
The cornerstone of American politics, full democratic representation, was once a powerful force, enabling smaller states and minorities to influence US politics and direction instead of being marginalized.
Regrettably, some actors with ulterior motives have exploited this system, steering it away from democratic principles, prioritizing minority rule, and serving their own interests over the democratic spirit.