Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the seventeenth article of amendment.

Key Points

• This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would end the direct election of U.S. Senators by voters. Instead, state legislatures would once again choose Senators, returning to the system that existed before 1913.
• The 17th Amendment, adopted in 1913, gave American voters the right to directly elect their Senators. This proposal would completely repeal that amendment, removing that right from voters and handing the selection process back to state lawmakers.
• Any Senator already serving when the amendment takes effect would not be removed. The change would only apply to future Senate selections, protecting current officeholders.
• Passing a constitutional amendment is extremely difficult. It requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of all state legislatures (or conventions) within ten years.
• The resolution was introduced by Rep. Self and co-sponsored by eight other House Republicans. It has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, the standard first step for proposed constitutional amendments.