Prior to passage of the 17th Amendment Senators were considered to be the elder statesmen of Congress. They were to focus on the protection of states’ rights. Initially I opposed repeal of the 17th Amendment because of corruption within state legislatures. However, now I realize that most Senators have degenerated into politicians who buy their reelection with promises to their constituents of federal handouts. Consequently, the federal government frequently usurps the Constitution delineated powers of the once sovereign states.