zlacker

>it had to become law after the US Senate consented to it in 1999. (Treaties don't need the support of both houses in the US).

To be clear for those not familiar with American government structure, this is an intended separation of powers between the two Houses of Congress.

The House of Representatives (aka Lower House) is tasked primarily with duties concerning money and commerce. Representatives have the sole authority to draft and ratify budgets, Senators may only ratify or not.

The Senate (aka Upper House) is tasked primarily with affairs of state including but not limited to confirming and impeaching executive, judicial, and other public servant appointments; drafting and ratifying treaties; and helping ensure all States have a say in most political affairs.

Most legislative tasks do in fact require drafting and ratification of sibling bills by both Houses of Congress, but certain things like treaties are the sole jurisdiction of one House or the other.

The Senate has traditionally been viewed as more prestigious and powerful than the House, but actually neither is strictly better than the other.

>>Dalewy+(OP)
That is an accurate representation of how it used to and in theory work. Quaint

As the above former EFF guy comment essentially stated “after a bunch of work and a long time and a bunch of effort … last minute subversion undid everything and we were left with more tyrannical surveillance pushed by compromised and corrupted, bought and paid for traitors”

>>Dalewy+(OP)
The direct election of Senators considerably changed the Senate. The Senate’s job was to represent the interests of the individual states, the House was to represent the people. That’s why the Senate has treaty powers — as the United States (emphasis on the plural of states) are/were each sovereign entities and the Senate thusly had to approve of any treaty that woukd effectively bind states to an international agreement.

Direct election of senators changed that because the senators no long answer to the state governments but to the population of the state directly.