February, 2026
Washington — It was heartening yesterday to hear Robert Kagan, former Republican and current writer at The Atlantic, note that four Senate Republicans have it in their power to preserve American democracy.
"I would like to think that some Republicans - it only takes four in the Senate - might stand up for democracy and preserving the American system...."
I said as much in my previous blog post, the most common response to which has been: who might they be?
One possible group of four Republicans would be those not running for re-election who could register and caucus as independent for the remainder of 2026, namely Senators Tillis, Ernst, McConnell, and Lummis, all of whom have been attacked by the president to one degree or another. They could be joined by four Democrats not running, namely Senators Smith, Durbin, Shaheen, and Peters, to form an independent caucus to vote as a group on questions of checks and balances. (Noted: Senators King and Sanders are already independent.)
Another possible group could be eight women senators, four from each party, such as Ernst, Lummis, Murkowski, Collins, Shaheen, Smith, Rosen, and Cortez Masto. Each has demonstrated an independent streak from time to time. They could be known henceforth as Eight Women Patriots Who Stepped Up to Save America, so to speak. Others might want to join them.
If an independent caucus of eight senators were now in place, it could be instrumental in asserting Congressional powers over ICE, currently much in dispute. There is not a moment to lose.
