Rep. Andy Harris supports repealing 17th U.S. Constitutional Amendment

Salisbury, Md. – Several republican representatives, including Rep. Andy Harris (R – Maryland Congressional District 1), are calling for the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to be repealed.

Ratified in 1913, the 17th Amendment allows for the general public to elect their state senators. Harris told WMDT repealing the amendment would make the state legislature elect and, according to Harris, impeach U.S. senators. Introduced on June 25, House Joint Resolution 198, would strip popular vote elections from U.S. senators and restore the power to elect U.S. senators to the state legislature.

The congressman said the would strengthen the voice of states.

“If a representative in the U.S. Senate is not doing what they should be doing for the state, the state legislature should have the ability to recall that senator and appoint a new senator, not every six years,” he said.

Harris has previously served in the Maryland State Senate and believes U.S. senators should also have four-year terms.

“A lot of senators don’t pay attention to the needs of their state for the first four or five years, and then it’s election year and the sixth year, all of a sudden, you see the senators, they’re all over the place,” he said.

Harris said he believes if the power remained with the state legislature, U.S. Senate would not be a “stumbling block” for legislation Harris supports such the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (also known as the SAVE America Act) and increased border security.

House Joint Resolution 198 was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.