The following is an idea I have been mulling around for a few days. The House of Representatives, because it follows districts determined by the state legislature, already, in the experience of two centuries, adequately represents the interests of the states. The Senate should then, in my mind, represent the interests of the nation as a whole. I propose that, instead of electing Senators per state, they be elected to represent federal Senate districts of roughly equal population which would be drawn by the House of Representatives every ten years. . Considering that many Senators serve repeated terms for decades with almost no opposition, and the shifting boundaries that would come with different House of Representative compositions and census records, this would be a major democratization of the house and result in more new faces in the Senate. I also propose that the House of Representatives have the power to set deadlines for the passage of legislation that they send to the Senate. If the Senate fails to amend or reject the bill they are sent within that period of time, then it is considered to have their implicit approval and is transmitted to the President as if they had passed it. This would greatly limit the overuse of filibuster in the Senate. Finally, the Vice President would have the power to appoint whomever he wants as President pro temp. and appoint the members of committees, making the Vice President's role as President of the Senate more important. This would allow him to guide legislation through the Senate with less delay.
Article I
The Senate shall be composed of members elected one per federal Senate district every 8 years, but no Senator may serve more than two consecutive terms.
Article II
Every tenth year, after the conclusion of the federal census, the House of Representatives shall divide the territory of the United States, including lands belonging to the United States but not part of any particular state, into a number of districts equal to twice the number of states. These districts shall each contain as equal a number of persons as may be possible, but all island chains shall be considered as contiguous with the ocean coasts of the nearest state for the purposes of apportionment. This division into districts must then be approved by the Supreme Court of the United States as being fair and in accordance with the provisions of law and this Constitution.
Article III
On the day appointed for federal elections, the registered voters in each district, who must be duly qualified in the states in which they are resident, shall each cast one vote for Senator. If any candidate receives more than half of the votes cast, he shall be elected Senator, but if he does not, then a second election shall be held within three weeks between the candidates having the two highest numbers of votes or the two candidates having the highest number of votes, whichever number is lower, with the person receiving the greatest number of votes declared the winner. If, however, even this is tied, then the House of Representatives shall, upon meeting for the first time in consequence of the election, determine which of the candidates in eh second election are to be seated in the Senate.
Article IV
The states shall be responsible for collecting the votes for Senator and reporting them to the federal election authorities created by law.
Article V
The President of the Senate shall be the Vice President; however, he may appoint as President-pro-tempore any member of the Senate to preside in his absence. The President of the Senate shall appoint the members and chairmen of all committees.
Article VI
Upon transmission of any bill to the Senate, the House of Representatives may, upon the agreement of a majority of its members, designate any period of time greater than ten days for the Senate to consider the bill, after which, if the Senate shall not have voted against the bill or passed an amended version of it, it shall be immediately presented to the President of the United States by the Speaker of the House as having obtained the approval of the House and the implicit approval of the Senate, who shall sign or reject the bill in the same manner as if it had been passed by both houses.
Article VII
Congress shall have authority to enforce this amendment by necessary legislation.
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