On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of US senators proposed two proposals to alter election laws, attempting to avoid a repetition of then-President Donald Trump's unsuccessful bid to reverse his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.
The law, among other things, would state that the vice president has only a ceremonial role in certifying election results after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Capitol in an attempt to force then-Vice President Mike Pence to reverse the election outcome.
Bipartisan Senate Announces Deal on Reforming Electoral Count Act
The move follows accumulating evidence from a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 violence that Trump sought to overturn his defeat by disseminating false information about a rigged election.
The two bills, introduced by a bipartisan group led by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and Republican Senator Susan Collins, cover a wide range of topics, covering election results and presidential transitions, mail-in ballots, election record security, and threats to election workers.
Senators Richard Durbin and Amy Klobuchar of the Senate Rules Committee, as well as independent Senator Angus King, are pursuing similar legislation. House Democrats are also working on legislation. While the House and Senate are controlled by Democrats, lawmakers aim to pass a package of election law improvements this year, according to Reuters.
The second bill would strengthen federal sanctions for anybody who threatens or intimidates election officials, as well as raise penalties for interfering with election records. Five Republicans and seven Democrats have signed on to the measure.
Proposed Bill Aims to Make it Harder to Overturn Election
While constitutional scholars argue the vice president cannot now disregard a state-certified electoral result, Trump used his pressure campaign to urge then-Vice President Mike Pence to impede Electoral College certification in Congress.
But Pence refused, and as a result, he became a target of the former President and his horde of followers who invaded the Capitol on January 6, 2021. When a joint session of Congress convenes to certify a presidential election, Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said the law will make it more difficult to reverse an election, as per CNN.
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In addition to Collins and Manchin, the following lawmakers were involved in the negotiations:
Rob Portman of Ohio
Mitt Romney of Utah
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Thom Tillis of North Carolina
Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Todd Young of Indiana
Ben Sasse of Nebraska
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona
Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
Mark Warner of Virginia
Chris Murphy of Connecticut
Ben Cardin of Maryland
Chris Coons of Delaware
It is uncertain when the measures will be voted on the Senate floor since the Senate is presently working on a bill to give funds for the American semiconductor industry to boost its competitiveness in the technological and manufacturing sectors versus China. The measure must be advanced with the support of 10 Republican senators.
However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that he is receptive to the proposal. "It has to be repaired," he stated. "And I've been in frequent contact with Senator Collins, and I sympathize with what she's trying to do."
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who leads the Senate Rules Committee, has indicated she will hold a hearing on the proposal in the coming weeks, CBS News reported.
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