The best place to make those decisions is for individual States to think it through themselves.

Thank you, Chairman Feingold.

I do not think that temporary appointments, whether for 3 months, 6 months, or in some cases, for up to 2½ years, is the right way to fill seats in a body that since the 17th Amendment has been elected by the people.

I view this issue, at base, as a voting rights question.

I have a real question about when we should be amending the Constitution.

this amendment reformed the Senate selection process by instituting direct elections.

I believe in addressing this matter we must look at the history of our electoral processes.

Senate vacancies are no less significant than vacancies in the House.

the people of those States, and every State, do deserve a voice in their representation.

I do not believe budget constraints nullify the imperative for electing our leaders.

The American people elect their Senators and would not accept any other method.

I think it is something to think about, but I would basically say my fear is that we do not have good health care.

I hope both the House and Senate will take a look at that.

Currently, the Constitution's Seventeenth Amendment provides for the popular election of Senators, but it provides an exception in which States can allow Governors to appoint Senators to fill vacancies until a special election is held.

The time has come for Congress to pass an amendment to the Constitution that would require all Senate vacancies to be filled by special election.

We do not talk about federalism when we talk about the right to vote.

I think that is a problem for our system of democracy.

I believe that those who want to be a U.S. Senator should have to make their case to the people whom they want to represent.