It is clear by now that there are no rules. I predict civil war in the next couple decades. California will tell the USA to go fuck itself and keep doing what it’s doing. Eventually something will cause an armed conflict/massacre/clusterfuck which will mobilize fence-sitters on BOTH sides to take action.
I wish I could be sure this won’t happen, but I really think it’s probable unless something dramatic changes.
Indeed, I had the impression that the typical senator does not spend much time reading much of anything, except maybe marching orders from whoever funds their campaigns.