The U.S. Senate must be reformed by an Article V Convention of the States. Six years is too long for them to serve. A Four year term is sufficient to slow down improvident legislation. The lame duck sessions of Congress must be limited, both by shortening the term, limiting what can be done in such lame duck sessions, and requiring things like spending bills passed in them to be ratified by the next Congress.
The U.S. badly needs reform, but I don’t know that Trump is the guy to lead that charge. He is too concerned with the image of “winning” that he doesn’t want to be associated with reforms that may not pass at first.
Article V would make it worse. Do you really think the left won’t twist, subvert, and cheat to overcome any nonviolent means?
The same people that count votes would conduct the convention.
I would like to see the following to strengthen the republican aspects of the Constitution. It has suffered long enough from ‘Mobocracy’ worship:
1. Repeal the 17th Amendment! The Founding Fathers intended the Senate to be the states corporate voice into federal policy. This was to be done through the state legislature. (They couldn't do worse than the present system!) So, it's a complete lie to say the people don't have a voice in this! The current system makes a senator just another congressman\woman (at-large!) with all the inherent political rancor, passions and short-term interests that the House has. The only changes that I might make to modify the original system - priority order:
a. Allow citizen-based recall.
b. Governor appointment if legislature can't decide in 30 days or there's a vacancy. If a vacancy the appointee serves two years (or remainder of term whichever is less), then citizenry voting to affirm the appointee or replace him\her.
c. Senator's direct reporting staff are state employees - state funded & state government positions. This will better ensure the senator's staff are more loyal to him\her and the state the ‘congressional staff cloud’.
2. Strengthen the republican structure of the states, overturn Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964) which concerned state legislature districts either through another USSC case (risky) or through a Constitutional amendment. State legislatures should follow the federal legislative republican model. State senators should be elected by counties (1 or 2 per county), the lower house by population districts. If some states have for example a 12-voter county. It's the state's business!
3. The concept of state sovereignty should be strengthened. For example, ‘citizen of a state’ should not be just a flowery political phrase. The way to do this is give a strong role to the state in policing illegal immigration. Say one mile (or less!) into the state from the border the state has complete jurisdiction as to what to do with ‘illegals’. They can then detain, prosecute\jail, expel to another country (if they share a border turn over to federal control**) or state or do nothing. The state's call!
** However federal control does not exist outside of the 1-mile exclusion zone. FedGov can either build detention facilities within that one-mile zone, have them ping-pong back and forth between state and federal jurisdictions or ask the state's permission to transport - done under the state's control and management.
4. Require all states to formally have a ‘state guard’. Yes, I know it exists theoretically through the militia concept. However, not all state constitutions spell it out! State's business whether they want to fund it and give it structure.
5. Which would be very unpopular, would never pass and shows my lack of faith in the ‘popular will’.
Strengthen the role of the Electoral College back to what it was originally intended.
After the new state legislature is sworn in, they pick the electors for their states. If they can't do it the state lose one or all its electoral votes depending on what that legislature fails to do. Meaning if the state had 30 electoral votes and the state legislature can only pick 25 then that means state has 25 electoral votes. Within the week they assemble and cast their votes. Please don't try and tell me we need all that carnival huckstering that we do now to show who would be a good candidates.