Support H. J. Res. 198: Repeal the 17th Amendment

U.S. Representative Keith Self (R-Texas) has introduced House Joint Resolution 198 (H. J. Res. 198), a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to repeal the 17th Amendment. Introduced on June 25, 2026, the resolution currently has nine co-sponsors. The resolution states:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States…

ARTICLE—

‘‘SECTION 1. The seventeenth article of amendment to the Constitution is hereby repealed.

‘‘SECTION 2. This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.’’.

Ratified in 1913, the 17th Amendment eliminated the Constitution’s provision that state legislatures appoint senators. This change transformed the Senate from a body representing sovereign states into a second popularly elected chamber, eroding federalism and removing a crucial check on federal power.

In a press release, Self stated:

Our Founding Fathers designed the Senate to protect state sovereignty and act as a check on federal overreach. If senators are supposed to represent their states, then the states should choose them. Repealing the 17th Amendment will restore that constitutional balance and make the Senate more accountable to the people of Texas and every other state in the union.

U.S. Representative Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), who co-sponsored the resolution, noted that the 17th Amendment, together with the 16th, helped fuel Washington’s growth in power and debt:

As originally envisioned by our Framers, the Senate was a key bulwark of federalism: It was meant to give the states a check on the federal government and moderate the passions of the people. Therefore, it’s no coincidence that over the last century, Washington has concentrated more power in itself and buried the country in debt. If we’re serious about reining in federal power and spending, we should be willing to reconsider the change that, together with the 16th Amendment, has helped fuel its growth more than any other.

Repealing the 17th Amendment would reestablish the constitutional balance between the House, which represents the people, and the Senate, which represents the states. It would strengthen the 10th Amendment, and return meaningful authority to state legislatures.

Contact your U.S. representative and senators, and urge them to co-sponsor and support H. J. Res. 198. Contact them today and demand they stand for the original constitutional design of the Senate and state sovereignty.