Engel Statement On Certification of Electoral College Results

Statement

Congressman Eliot Engel, a leading Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement regarding the certification today of the results of the Electoral College's votes for President and Vice President:

"The peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of American democracy. People around the world admire America's commitment to the rule of law and our ability to stand by those principles, even when power passes from one political party to another.

"But this was a truly strange campaign. As much civic pride as we might take in our commitment to abide by the results of the election, it should give us all pause that our next President received 2.8 million fewer votes than his opponent. It should give us all pause that, after years of Republican efforts to make it harder to vote, so many jurisdictions saw depressed turnout, longer lines, and more problems at the ballot box. It should give us all pause that a foreign dictatorship was caught red-handed trying to upend our national political debate to favor one side over the other.

"I have been a longtime supporter of the repeal of the Electoral College, a proponent of major campaign finance reforms, and a vocal defender of voting rights for every American. Elections and voting rights are among my highest priorities for the coming Congress, and I am committed to doing what I can to make sure that our next election is safer, more open, and more democratic than the last."

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