At this level—at the level of action—Senator Flake has done painfully little. Yes, he spoke out. But he is more than a voice. He is a United States Senator. He holds an office of rare political significance, with direct power to investigate and oversee the executive branch and, perhaps more importantly, to cast and withhold votes that create law and gatekeep executive and judicial offices. Senators are defined by their votes, and their ability to use those votes for leverage: to coordinate with like-minded colleagues, seize opportunities for negotiation and compromise, and transform political momentum into action on their own priorities. The Senate in which Flake serves also happens to have a narrow margin of majority. His individual vote carries more leverage than most senators’ at most times in this country’s history. Few people have greater power or opportunity to steer the course of our government, or to force a change in our politics.
But Senator Flake has apparently chosen not to force any change. He has voted to confirm every one of Trump’s executive appointments, with the recent exception of Gina Haspel. He has voted to advance every one of Trump’s Congressional enablers’ most prized legislative priorities. And he has not a modicum of executive oversight, ethics compliance, or policy change to show for it.
