DSA Unveils Radical Plan to Abolish Senate and Restructure US Government
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has approved a sweeping new political platform that calls for abolishing the U.S. Senate, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court with institutions subordinate to Congress, and fundamentally restructuring American government. The platform, titled “Workers Deserve More!,” was approved by the DSA’s National Political Committee in June 2026 and is set to be formally unveiled at the organization’s “Socialists Summit” in Chicago later this month.
A Radical Blueprint for Transformation
According to Fox News, which first reported the platform’s rollout, the DSA plans to eliminate the Senate entirely, replacing the current bicameral system with a single federal legislature based on proportional representation. The president and Supreme Court would be replaced with an executive and judiciary “chosen by and subordinate to Congress.”
The platform, as detailed by City Journal, emerged from an in-person meeting of the DSA’s National Political Committee earlier this month. It represents a significant escalation in the organization’s political ambitions, moving beyond traditional progressive policy goals toward a fundamental restructuring of the American constitutional order.
Key Provisions of the Platform
The “Workers Deserve More!” platform encompasses a broad range of radical policy proposals:
Constitutional and Governmental Reform: The DSA calls for a “new democratic constitution” establishing a “democratic socialist republic.” This includes abolishing the Electoral College, implementing ranked-choice voting, expanding the House of Representatives, and providing full public financing for campaigns.
Immigration: The platform demands universal amnesty for all immigrants, abolition of ICE and CBP, an end to all deportations, open borders, and voting rights for non-citizens.
Defense and Foreign Policy: The DSA advocates defunding the Department of War, closing all overseas military bases, withdrawing from NATO, ending all economic sanctions (including on Iran, Cuba, and Russia), ending military aid to Israel, and naming Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Criminal Justice: The platform calls for abolishing “the carceral forces of the capitalist state” — including police and prisons — freeing all people from involuntary confinement, disarming law enforcement, ending all misdemeanor offenses, and decriminalizing drug trades, sex trades, homelessness, and squatting.
Economic Policy: The DSA proposes social ownership of all major industry and infrastructure, nationalizing banks, insurance, real estate, finance, utilities, telecommunications, media, and fossil fuel producers. It also calls for a 32-hour work week with no reduction in pay, Medicare for All, canceling all student debt, eliminating cash bail, universal rent control, and a maximum wage ceiling.
Social Policy: The platform includes abolition of the gender binary, gender-affirming care for minors without parental consent, decriminalization of prostitution, abortion on demand with no legal restrictions, and ending restrictions on marriage.
Internal Divisions and Debate
The platform’s adoption was not without controversy within the DSA itself. The “real democracy” amendment — replacing the president and Supreme Court — passed the NPC by a “razor-thin margin,” according to City Journal’s reporting. The carceral abolition amendment passed 16-8, indicating significant internal disagreement.
Cliff Connolly, a member of the Marxist Unity Group caucus on the NPC, argued that “we’re never going to have democracy or socialism in the United States as long as the president and the Supreme Court exist in their current form.” He added that “the whole point of having the Senate, the president, and the Supreme Court is so that, if popular legislation passes through the House of Representatives, the ruling class has these other levels they can pull to stop it from happening.”
Ashik Siddique, DSA Co-Chair, acknowledged that “abolishing the Senate is pretty radical” but suggested that “more and more people are seeing that as very reasonable.”
However, Katie Sims of the Socialist Majority Caucus warned that adopting such radical positions would put endorsed candidates at odds with the DSA’s platform at a time when the organization was pushing for greater alignment with its elected representatives.
Political Context and Electoral Momentum
The platform’s release comes amid a surge of DSA electoral victories. Zohran Mamdani’s election as Mayor of New York City in 2025 — defeating former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo — marked a watershed moment for the organization. In June 2026, DSA-backed candidates Melat Kiros in Colorado and Darializa Avila-Chevalier in New York defeated long-serving Democratic incumbents in primary elections.
These victories have prompted intense debate about the DSA’s role within the Democratic Party. Democratic leaders have offered mixed responses: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called the DSA’s primary victories “the recipe for winning in 2026 and beyond,” while Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said he wants a “big tent party.” Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia stated that socialists and communists are welcome inside the Democratic Party.
But Democratic strategist James Carville has warned of a “schism,” saying there are things he “cannot share a tent with.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has aggressively highlighted the DSA platform as evidence of radicalism within the Democratic Party, warning of “Little mini Mamdanis popping up all over the country, running for Congress.”
Analysis: A Defining Moment for American Politics
The DSA’s platform represents the most radical proposed restructuring of American government since the Constitution’s ratification. The elimination of the Senate would end equal state representation, while subordinating the executive and judiciary to Congress would eliminate the separation of powers that has been a cornerstone of American governance for nearly 250 years.
Analysts have noted a deliberate gap between the DSA’s public-facing messaging — which emphasizes popular policies like Medicare for All, housing, and the 32-hour work week — and its internal platform documents, which advocate for the abolition of capitalism, police and prison abolition, and open borders. This dual-language approach allows candidates to run on broadly popular issues while the organization maintains a revolutionary agenda.
What to Watch For
The DSA’s “Socialists Summit” is scheduled for late July in Chicago, where the full platform will be formally debuted. A national organizing conference follows from July 31 to August 2. The upcoming Michigan U.S. Senate Democratic primary on August 4 will serve as a key test of DSA electoral strength and the viability of its platform in a general election context.
The central question remains whether the DSA can translate its primary victories into general election success, particularly given the most radical elements of its platform. As internal divisions persist and external pressure mounts from both Republicans and establishment Democrats, the DSA faces a critical test of its ability to bridge the gap between revolutionary principles and practical governance.