Think. Broken can the senate save itself and the country . And im just curious what is your conclusion to that question . Guest tom first of all im thrilled to have a conversation with you. When cspan told me that you were going to do it i felt like i had won the lottery, to see an old friend but also a great senator and Senate Leader and an author too on this subject. They can get much better than that. Host thank you. Im flattered. Guest the easy answer is that the jury is still out on how its going to go. What i tried to convey in the book was first the senate has declined over long period of time, not a couple of years, more like a couple of decades and the senate has declined in a way, the decline goes like that and then its deepens over the last nine or 10 years. What we are facing now i believe its a very diminished diminished and weakened we didnt senate at precisely the time that we need a strong one. All of a sudden we are facing the possibility, lets say we are the facing th
The books title is intriguing, the broken, can the senate save itself in the country. Im curious, what is your conclusion to that question. Tom, first of all, im thrilled to be having a conversation with you. When cspan told me you were going to do it, i felt like i had won the lottery. To see an old friend but also also great senator and Senate Leader and an author on this subject. You cant do much better than that. Thank you. I am flattered. The easy answer is that your jury is still out on how it will go. When i tried to convey in the book was, first that the senate has declined over a long period of time, not a couple of years, more like a couple of decades for the senate has declined in a way where it sort of goes like that and it stevens over the last nine or ten years. What we are facing now is a very diminished and weakened senate at precisely the time we need a strong one. All of a sudden we are facing the possibility, lets say we were facing the possibility of an inexperience
Let me try to call this full house to order, if i may. Welcome to brookings. My name is bill gallston. Im a senior fellow in governance studies. Thank you so much for coming and welcome also to the people who are watching this event live on cspan. Todays topic is the past, the present and possible future of the u. S. Senate. The occasion of this discussion is the publication of ira shapiros second book on the senate, this one entitled, broken can the senate save itself and the country . Those of oh you who read his first book on the senate will know how passionately he reveres the senate as an institution and will not be surprised to learn how distressed he is by what he describes as its precipitous decline. This topic could not be more timely. We are just days from the expiration of yet another shortterm continuing budget resolution and perhaps even more pertinently, from a promised open Senate Debate on u. S. Immigration policy. Will the promise be kept . And if it is, will todays se
The easy answer of course is that the jury is still out on how its going to go. What i tried to convey in the bookwas first , the senate has declined over a long period of time, not a couple of years, more like a couple of decades. Precise of the time that we need a strong one. All of a sudden we are facing the possibility of lets say we were facing the possibility of an inexperienced reckless, perhaps irresponsible, maybe authoritarian president. You would want a strong senate. We do not have one. The senate saved itself, changed from the downward spiral it has been on. And then step up to his responsibilities. And that is kind of the question. The book is optimistic in certain ways. I have already been criticized by someone who said you are too optimistic. It is optimistic because i believe, and we have seen recent evidence of it, that so many of the senators are disgusted with the institution the way it has been. You have written about this and you know. It is one of the least wellk
[inaudible conversations] let me try to call this full house to order, if i may. Welcome to brookings. My name is bill galston, senior fellow here in governance stud ies. Thanks so much for coming and welcome also to the people who are watching this event live on cspan. Todays topic is the past and the publication of ira shapiros second book on the senate, this one entitled broken, can the senate save itself and the country. Those of you who read his first book on the senate will know how passionately he reveres the senate as an an answers institution and will not know howdy how distress as decline this topic could not be more timely. We are just days from the expiration of yet another shortterm continuing budget re solution and perhaps even more pertinently from a promised open Senate Debate on u. S. Immigration policy. Will the promise be kept and if it is will todays senate be up to the job of an open deliberation on the most burning domestic question which is more than come itself