They don’t have the will, but I don’t think the 17th A has much to do with it. The whole GOP are just cowards. After all they won’t even defund anything for fear Obama will “shut down the government” and they will be blamed for it and lose their majority, despite just the opposite happening in 2014. Frankly they don’t deserve to be a majority, and they won’t be for long.
It is best to drop the political party mindset. It clouds reason.
The constitution acts on both the people and states. Both were and MUST BE represented in the law making body in order to have a republic.
Since the 17A the senate has been composed of three term congressmen whose interest is entirely composed of popular reelection rather than advancement of their states.