, Columnist
A New Congress Could Quickly Reform Election Law
A lot is possible and constitutional under the 14th Amendment.
It’s crazy — and unconstitutional — to have 50 different sets of voting procedures.
Photographer: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
If the Democrats beat Donald Trump, take Congress and dump the filibuster, they can end the Republicans’ lock as a minority party on the federal government. Using legislation, without amending the Constitution, Congress has more power to reshape the U.S. form of government than most people grasp.
The authority to do so is in the Constitution itself — not just in the elections clause but also in the less well-known parts of the 14th Amendment. By reshaping the government, Congress would be faithful to that amendment’s original intent.