This article was originally published on Crafting Your Home. A human contributor also wrote and edited the post.
The Democratic Socialists of America unveiled a national platform by July 15, 2026, calling for sweeping changes to the federal government in Washington. The plan seeks to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and eliminate the Senate.
The organization also wants Congress to select and control a replacement for the presidency and the Supreme Court. The platform remains DSA’s official political program, and candidates seeking its endorsement must support it.
The platform would place Congress at the center.
DSA proposes replacing the current presidential system with an executive selected by Congress. That executive would remain subordinate to the legislative branch rather than operating as an independently elected national office. The group also wants Congress to select and oversee a replacement for the Supreme Court. That structure would give lawmakers authority over legislation, executive leadership, and the federal judiciary.
DSA leaders present the model as an answer to concentrated presidential power. They argue that presidents can make major decisions involving military action and national policy without enough democratic restraint.
Frances Gill, a member of DSA’s National Political Committee in Los Angeles, said public frustration with presidential power had intensified under President Donald Trump. She argued that the system itself allows too much authority to accumulate within one office. Gill described Trump as “super evil” during a presentation to members. She also criticized previous presidents and said even mainstream Democrats recognize the risks created by an unusually powerful presidency.
Senate abolition faces a constitutional obstacle.
The platform calls for eliminating the Senate and significantly expanding the House of Representatives. DSA argues that the Senate gives disproportionate influence to less-populated states and blocks majority rule.
Michaela Brangan, a North New Jersey DSA member who helped write the platform, criticized senators’ relationships with donors. She said the chamber was “more loyal to itself and their donors than their own constituents.”
“The Senate is an anachronism,” Brangan told members. She said the institution had existed for more than 200 years but was no longer working. The Constitution gives every state two senators, regardless of population. The Article V equal suffrage provision says no state can lose equal Senate representation without its consent.
House expansion could proceed legislatively.
DSA pairs the abolition of the Senate with a substantial expansion of the House. The organization says a larger chamber would produce representation that more closely reflects the national population. Unlike the Senate, the House is not constitutionally limited to 435 voting members. Its size has changed repeatedly throughout American history as the population and the number of states have grown.
The House membership remains statutory under the federal system established through congressional legislation. Congress could increase the chamber’s size by passing a new law. DSA also supports proportional representation, ranked-choice voting, and a multiparty electoral system. Those changes could allow political groups to win seats based on their share of votes rather than single-district victories.
Immigration agenda targets detention and deportation.
The organization renewed its long-standing demand to abolish ICE, a position it has publicly supported since 2018. It also calls for blanket amnesty for immigrants living in the country without legal status. DSA wants to end federal immigration detention and deportation operations. The platform also supports legalizing migration and removing limits on entry to the United States.
Congress created ICE through federal law, making the agency easier to eliminate than the Senate. Lawmakers could dissolve it, reorganize it, or transfer selected duties to other federal departments. The platform goes further than an administrative reorganization. It seeks to replace detention and removal with a system offering broader legal status and stronger protections for immigrants.
Economic plan expands public programs.
DSA’s agenda calls for aggressive wealth taxes targeting the richest Americans and large corporations. It supports using that revenue to finance housing, education, transportation, health care, and other public services. The organization wants to cancel student debt and establish universal childcare. It also proposes a 32-hour workweek without reducing workers’ wages or benefits.
The platform supports Medicare for All and free education from preschool through college. It also calls for publicly owned housing and stronger protections for tenants. DSA describes the country’s economic system as serving billionaires, corporate executives and war profiteers. The document says rising prices and artificial intelligence are increasing insecurity among workers.
Foreign policy calls for ending Israel’s aid.
The platform calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. It also seeks an end to American military and economic assistance to Israel. DSA connects overseas military spending with its domestic economic agenda. It argues that federal resources should instead support public services and working-class communities.
Democratic divisions deepen after primary wins.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson described the platform as a threat to American freedom. He said the dispute involved the country’s governing philosophy rather than ordinary disagreements over tax rates. Some moderate Democrats have also pushed back against DSA’s growing influence. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said candidates hostile to the Democratic Party should build a separate party.
The platform acknowledges that some policies could advance within the existing system. It states that full implementation would require a new constitution, while every DSA-endorsed candidate must support the adopted program.
