We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. – Psalm 55:14
The 17th Amendment was ratified on this day in 1913. This amendment allowed senators to be elected by popular vote instead of by state legislatures. For the first 125 years of the U.S. government, senators were not directly elected by American citizens. In 1826, the first proposal to amend this was introduced in the House of Representatives. By the end of the 1800s, the vacancies caused by several state legislatures’ inability to elect senators, for months or even years at a time, led Congress to reconsider the way senators were elected. While the House passed several resolutions, the Senate refused to vote on the issue. Many states began to initiate the previously unused Article V of the Constitution, which specifies that “Congress must call a convention for proposing amendments when two-thirds of the state legislatures apply for one.” As the number of state applications neared the two-thirds mark, Congress responded. The amendment was passed in 1912, and, nearly a year later, three-quarters of the states had ratified it.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For members of Congress as they consider the needs, desires, and applications of the states.
- For state governors and legislatures as they endeavor to steward the resources and guide the direction of their states.
