The US Senate has been described as “the world’s greatest deliberative body.” And it may have been that at some moment in history. The Senate was distinguished over the House of Representatives by having fewer members, stricter eligibility rules, freer discussion, and other features.

It would be a mistake to assume the American Congress is the best. Other nations around the world also have governments with legislatures that are also described as “deliberative bodies.” One or more of them might also be excellent.

But it would surely be a mistake to assume that other nations are getting it right. There is plenty of evidence on record that other nations’ governments are hilarious.

The British parliament is a silly place, ruled by shouting and hooting and name-calling.
In the Ukraine, legislators throw punches on the floor of their Senate.
In Turkey, men in suits scuffle and brawl all around their chamber.
Violence and disruptive mischief in legislative chambers are, in fact, pretty common around the world.

But the claim that the US Senate is the world’s greatest deliberative body can be questioned another way. We need to ask if the US Senate is a deliberative body at all. The schoolbook say it is. But in recent years, the process has changed and deliberation has become less and less important.

Consider this opening paragraph from the December 30 Washington Post article about a proposal to provide stimulus checks to American households.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to deliver a political death blow to a last-minute push to authorize $2,000 stimulus checks for most Americans, arguing he would not be “bullied” into action despite pressure from President Drumpf, congressional Democrats and even some Republicans for the more generous payments.
With only days left on the legislative calendar — and significant business still pending on the Senate floor — McConnell said Wednesday that the chamber would not vote on a House-passed stimulus bill, a move that threatened to render it impossible for lawmakers to broker a compromise before the end of the year.

Look again at the bolded parts. McConnell insists here that he will decide what the Senate does. He is the Majority leader and the president Pro Tempore of the Senate, so he decides what will be done. There is support for the $2,000 stimulus from several other sources, but McConnell insists that support from others cannot force him to act.

If the Senate were a great deliberative body, it would gather all 100 members, discuss the issue at length, consider the pros and cons, and then vote. The bill would pass if a majority of senators voted “Aye.”

That isn’t how the Senate works anymore. As McConnell makes very clear in the passage clipped above. he decides for himself what may be discussed. The Constitution does not state that the Senate Majority Leaders can veto any legislative bill. But the current rules enable him to kill any initiative just by not allowing discussion about it.

The US Senate is not “the world’s greatest deliberative body” because it isn’t a deliberative body at all.