McConnell, Schumer back bill to prevent attempts to disrupt the presidential election results

Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) approved a bipartisan vote count reform bill. in The Senate, nearly securing its passage and giving the bill momentum as Congress seeks to prevent future attempts to disrupt the presidential election results.

Approvals followed the passage to the House of similar bill last a week. Both measures aim to stop future presidents from trying to cancel elections results through Congress and were moved on January 6, 2021. attack on capitol crowd of Donald Trump supporters want to stop certification of Joe Biden win.

The Electoral Vote Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin III (DW.Va.), will amend the Electoral Vote Count Act. of 1887 and confirm that the vice president has only a ministerial role at the junction session of Congress will count the election votes and also raise threshold necessary for members of Congress objects to state electors.

Speaking on Senate floor On Tuesday afternoon, McConnell said that need to make “modest” updates to the Election Counting Law.

congressional process for counting their presidential electors votes was written 135 years ago. The chaos that came to head on January 6 of last year definitely emphasized need for en update”, McConnell said. “The Electoral Vote Counting Act eventually led to the correct conclusion…but this clear the country needs more predictable path”.

In a statement, Schumer said, “Don’t mistake: as our country continues face the threat of anti-democratic Republican movement MAGA promoted by many leaders of the Republican Party who either refused to take a stand or actively fanned the flames of division in our country – reforming the law on the count of votes in elections should be an absolute minimum of actions taken by Congress.”

Senate Rules Committee, of whose members are Schumer and McConnell, who later voted to move the bill forward. Schumer voted “yes” by proxy, while Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) was the only “no”. vote. Speaking minutes after McConnell expressed his support for legislation in committee, Cruz went against his party leader and criticized the bill as “bad policy as well as … bad for democracy”.

“I understand why the Democrats supporting this bill,” Cruz said. “What I don’t understand is why Republicans.”

Check already enjoyed a strong bipartisan support, with 11 Democratic and 11 Republican senators sign on Become a co-author by Tuesday.

“We are pleased that the bipartisan support continues to grow for these sensible and much-needed reforms to the Election Counting Law of 1887,” said Collins and Manchin. in joint statement last a week. “Our bill is supported by experts in the field of electoral law and the organization of the ideological spectrum itself. We will continue to work on increasing support for our legislation to correct the shortcomings in this archaic and ambiguous law.”

Later Tuesday evening in Capitol Collins overtook Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), a senior member of Rules, in hallway. She stopped, put her hand on shoulder and said, “Thank you. Great job. Thank you. Thanks.”

After the 2020 election, Trump falsely told his supporters that Vice President Mike Pence had power reject the election votes already certified states. Pence did not—and has repeatedly stressed that the constitution provides for a vice president with there is no such power. But on January 6, many in The crowd that took over the Capitol began chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” on the misconception that the vice president could have prevented Congress from confirming Biden’s victory.

House last A similar Presidential Election Reform Act was passed this week, written by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Zoe Lofgren (D-California), on 229-203 vote. Cheney and Lofgren argued that risk of another attempt to steal the presidential election remains high as Trump continues to spread baseless claims of widespread electoral fraud and how Trump supporters’ candidates in state and local elections across the country have embraced this lie.

The bills of the Senate and the House of Representatives differ mainly in how they would change a lot threshold necessary for members of both houses object to results. Currently only one each of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate required object to state voters. The House Electoral Reform Bill would increase this threshold at least one-third of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, while the Senate version would pick it up threshold at least one-fifth of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Schumer abstained support because he preferred a comprehensive Democratic voting bill that also addressed access to the elections. But after this bill failed in Senate because of absence of republican support it’s a bipartisan year group moved forward on a narrower draft law that would introduce restrictions and clarifications regarding how Presidential electors are appointed, nominated, and confirmed.

Senator Angus King (I-Man), Member of regulations panel who worked on its own electoral bill, said on Monday that it “critical”They pass legislation as soon as possible.

“This is not a comprehensive voting rights reform, but it is important because of in danger what we experienced on January 6,” King told The Washington Post. “His critical we do it before next year When we in flour of presidential elections”.

Unlike a Senate bill, a House bill has little support from members of the Republican Party. Only nine Republicans joined democrats in supporting measure and no of these nine will be members of Congress next year – either because they lost the primaries or decided to retire. Several of Republicans who opposed the bill, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA), who criticized it as unconstitutional.

On Tuesday, McConnell called the House bill “unsuccessful” because of his absence of support from members of the Republican Party.

“His clear that only a bipartisan compromise in The Senate can really become law,” he said. “One party going alone would be unfortunate. In my view, the house bill is not a starting one. We have one shot to get it right.”

The Biden administration issued a statement last a week in support of House bill, calling it different step in “critically needed reform of 135-year- the old Law on the counting of votes in elections.

“Americans deserve more clarity in the process by which they votes will result in elections of President and Vice President, Management of This is stated in the message of the Office and the budget. “As [the Presidential Election Reform Act] is undergoing a legislative process, the administration is watching forward work with Congress to ensure long-term reform consistent with The constitutional powers of Congress to protect voting rights, count votes, and strengthen our democracy.”

The Senate is expected vote on measure in lame duck session in December.

Lee Ann Caldwell contributed to this report.

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