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Georgia points the way, DC, Puerto Rico, and Mississippi next

It is hard to think past yesterday’s attempted putsch at the Capitol, but I really do think the victory of two Democrats in Georgia’s Senate run-off elections is far more significant. The imbalance in the Senate in favor of the Republicans has been a major factor in the radicalization of that party and the rise of Trumpism.

Once the Georgia Democrats are seated, Mitch McConnell, the Grim Reaper, will go into opposition and Chuck Schumer will control the agenda of the upper house. That in itself is important, as it will enable a new corona virus relief bill to be passed, including $2000 relief checks. They may not be the best economic stimulus idea, but the Democrats will still want to deliver them, along with aid to states and small business. I imagine some Republicans will vote in favor in both houses.

But on many things, legislation in the Senate faces what Americans call “the filibuster.” In its current form, this is a rule that requires 60 votes (out of 100) to close debate on a proposal and proceed to vote on it. The filibuster presumably encourages moderation and bipartisanship, though I’d be glad if someone could point me to research that demonstrates that effect. There are already some exceptions to the filibuster, the rules for which are incredibly arcane: budget “reconciliation” and nominations to high office. Eliminating the filibuster entirely is something both parties have hesitated to do when they are in the majority, because they know full well they may some day be in the minority.

I wouldn’t suggest eliminating the filibuster altogether. But I do think another exception should be carved out for admitting states to the Union. It is simply undemocratic to deprive the citizens resident in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico of representation and power equivalent to that of states that are less populous. Both have held referenda in favor of statehood, The District (which would become the (Frederick) Douglas Commonwealth, thus still DC) would get two senators and a voting representative. It already has the equivalent number (3) of electoral votes. Puerto Rico, whose citizens are already entitled to vote when they are resident in one of the 50 states, would get two senators and five representatives.

These additions to the Congress and the Electoral College would go some distance to eliminating deviations from one person one vote that prevail in the Senate and Electoral College today. The Democratic members of the Senate currently represent more than 40 million more people than the equal number of Republican members. Due to the distribution of Electoral College votes, Trump won the presidency in 2016 with almost 3 million fewer popular votes than Hillary Clinton.

Joe Biden, who spent most of his adult life in the Senate, will not be convinced easily to modify the filibuster. But he might be forced to it by Republican intransigence in the Senate. Admitting DC and Puerto Rico as states would give the Republican party strong incentives to abandon Trumpism and turn back towards a more moderate political course. That is precisely what is needed: a Yougov quick poll yesterday showed 45% of Republicans supported the storming of the Congress. Only defeat at the polls and in Congress will lower that number.

More Democratic senators are also possible without admitting new states. Mississippi, which recently erased a Confederate symbol from its state flag, is close to 38% black. If they turn out to vote, as Georgia’s black population did, Mississippi too could become a purple or even blue state. Louisiana and South Carolina also have higher black populations than Georgia. One of the big fights in the next few years will therefore be over voting rights and procedures. The epidemic enabled a lot of people to vote by mail in states that otherwise discourage their participation, including Georgia. That is the right direction.