The Washington Post offers this article. Near the end, it includes the following: “Freshman Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) offered a compromise — a measure that would change the law, not amend the constitution, by requiring states to hold an election to fill an open Senate seat within 90 days of the vacancy. But it would leave in place the governor’s authority to appoint a temporary senator until the election is held. ‘This is a simple alternative,’ Schock said, that will ‘get us to where we want to go much quicker and cleaner” than a constitutional amendment.'”
Quicker and cleaner, but constitutional? Consider the 17th Amendment, which provides: “When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. “? Where does Congress get the power to require an election within 90 days? What am I missing?