Upper & Lower Senate
November 5, 2020 at 10:30 p.m.
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As part of my series of letters on reforming Congress, I am adding on to my September 18th letter to the editor regarding expansion of the U.S. Senate. In that letter, besides calling for the addition of a third popularly elected senator for each state in the Union, there was also a proposal to have some partial restoration of pre-17th Amendment U.S. Senators to further restore checks and balance between states and the federal government. I believe now that there should be full restoration of these pre-17th Amendment U.S. Senators. This would be best accomplished by dividing the U.S. Senate in two subchambers - the Upper and Lower Senate.
Proposed Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 3:
1. The Lower Senate
The Lower Senate of the United States shall be composed of four senators from each state, three shall be elected by the people thereof, for six years, and each senator shall have one vote. The fourth senator shall be a competent citizen in good standing selected by lottery and approved through a referendum as a nonpartisan member of the Senate, beholden to no faction or party and shall serve a single term of six years and shall have one vote.
2. The Upper Senate
The Upper Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof from within their ranks with the consent of the people confirming the parties chosen, for terms of six years; and each senator shall have one vote.
The creation of a Lower Senate would allow for a third popularly elected senator and therefore another at-large representative for each state increasing the chances of a more diverse political field. The addition of a fourth senator who would be a true citizen-legislature directly selected from the people for a single term in office would further strengthen our republic and its core concept of government by te people for the people. This particular senator would be confirmed by the people in a referendum before serving in office and would be a nonpartisan member of that body.
The other chamber known as the Upper Senate would restore the voice of the state legislatures back into the federal government as it was before the passage of the 17th Amendment. This restoration can be accomplished while eliminating the problems that happened from 1789 to 1913 with the appointment of the Upper Chamber Senators by the state legislators whether by lottery, caucus, majority vote, etc. Those people who are chosen from the legislature would have to be approved by the residents of that state in a referendum.
This would be a major expansion of the Senate, which would increase its membership to 300. In the meantime, it would be best to add the Upper Senate Chamber as soon as possible getting an additional constitutional check and balance restored and giving each state four senators.
Alexander Houze
Leesburg
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As part of my series of letters on reforming Congress, I am adding on to my September 18th letter to the editor regarding expansion of the U.S. Senate. In that letter, besides calling for the addition of a third popularly elected senator for each state in the Union, there was also a proposal to have some partial restoration of pre-17th Amendment U.S. Senators to further restore checks and balance between states and the federal government. I believe now that there should be full restoration of these pre-17th Amendment U.S. Senators. This would be best accomplished by dividing the U.S. Senate in two subchambers - the Upper and Lower Senate.
Proposed Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 3:
1. The Lower Senate
The Lower Senate of the United States shall be composed of four senators from each state, three shall be elected by the people thereof, for six years, and each senator shall have one vote. The fourth senator shall be a competent citizen in good standing selected by lottery and approved through a referendum as a nonpartisan member of the Senate, beholden to no faction or party and shall serve a single term of six years and shall have one vote.
2. The Upper Senate
The Upper Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof from within their ranks with the consent of the people confirming the parties chosen, for terms of six years; and each senator shall have one vote.
The creation of a Lower Senate would allow for a third popularly elected senator and therefore another at-large representative for each state increasing the chances of a more diverse political field. The addition of a fourth senator who would be a true citizen-legislature directly selected from the people for a single term in office would further strengthen our republic and its core concept of government by te people for the people. This particular senator would be confirmed by the people in a referendum before serving in office and would be a nonpartisan member of that body.
The other chamber known as the Upper Senate would restore the voice of the state legislatures back into the federal government as it was before the passage of the 17th Amendment. This restoration can be accomplished while eliminating the problems that happened from 1789 to 1913 with the appointment of the Upper Chamber Senators by the state legislators whether by lottery, caucus, majority vote, etc. Those people who are chosen from the legislature would have to be approved by the residents of that state in a referendum.
This would be a major expansion of the Senate, which would increase its membership to 300. In the meantime, it would be best to add the Upper Senate Chamber as soon as possible getting an additional constitutional check and balance restored and giving each state four senators.
Alexander Houze
Leesburg
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