Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer said the U.S. Senate serves “no real purpose” beyond blocking change and entrenching what she described as bad ideas, while continuing to defend the organization’s broader calls to remake major American institutions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer is standing by her organization’s call to abolish the U.S. Senate, arguing that the chamber exists largely to obstruct popular action and preserve entrenched political interests.
Romer defended that position during an appearance on the Bad Faith podcast, hosted by former Bernie Sanders national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray. The discussion followed Romer’s widely circulated Fox News Sunday interview days earlier, when she affirmed several major elements of the DSA platform and drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats.
Gray questioned why the Senate receives such strong institutional loyalty, saying its defenders speak about it “like it’s their emotional support animal.” Romer agreed and argued that the chamber’s anti-democratic structure was embedded in the Constitution from the beginning.
“James Madison argues in Federalist 10, they’re trying to sell the Constitution,” Romer said. “They’re trying to sell it to people who don’t want democracy. And they’re like, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not too much democracy. We’ve got all these checks and balances where these rich landowners will be able to stop the people from doing stuff.’”
Romer then described the Senate as an institution designed to prevent action rather than serve a legitimate governing purpose.
“They have this sclerotic institution that just says no to everything and has no real purpose other than to entrench bad ideas,” Romer said. “So, yes, I don’t think we should run from it.”
Her comments expanded on positions she outlined July 26 during a rapid-fire interview with Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream.
During that exchange, Romer answered “true” or “absolutely” when asked whether the DSA supports abolishing the Senate, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court “as we now know them,” eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defunding the Pentagon and placing most large corporations under public ownership.
Romer also said the abolition of national borders, combined with amnesty for people living in the country illegally, and the abolition of prisons were part of a “long-term plan.”
When Bream pressed her specifically about the Senate, Romer called it “an anachronistic institution” modeled in part on Britain’s House of Lords. She said the DSA favors replacing the current two-chamber Congress with a single legislative body.
The interview produced immediate political backlash.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., responded on social media by accusing Democrats of accepting an extremist movement into their coalition.
“The barbarians are inside the gate, and Democrats are WELCOMING them in,” Johnson wrote.
Several Democrats also rejected the platform Romer described. Democratic strategist Sabrina Singh called it a “huge problem,” while Annie Andrews, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina, characterized the ideas as “unhinged.”
Romer’s renewed defense of the platform comes as candidates supported by the DSA have secured primary victories in New York City, Philadelphia and Denver. The organization’s influence has also grown alongside the political rise of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Rather than distancing herself from the controversy, Romer used the podcast appearance to argue that the organization should continue openly advocating for fundamental changes to the Senate and other core institutions of the federal government.
Original article
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