Chairwoman Klobuchar, Ranking Member Blunt Statements on Rules Committee Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Update the Electoral Count Act
Statement
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, released the statements below after the Rules Committee voted by a bipartisan vote of 14-1 to advance S. 4573, the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the Electoral Count Act. At the markup, the committee adopted Chairwoman Klobuchar and Ranking Member Blunt's bipartisan manager's amendment that makes key improvements to the bill.
"We must update the antiquated Electoral Count Act to ensure that electoral votes for president accurately reflect the will of the people in each state and to improve the process for counting electoral votes in Congress. At today's Committee markup, we implemented key bipartisan improvements that will strengthen the Electoral Count Reform Act and help protect our presidential elections," said Klobuchar. "Now that this bill has passed the Rules Committee with a strong bipartisan vote, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure this critical legislation continues advancing through the Senate and is signed into law this year."
"I'm encouraged by the strong, bipartisan support the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act received in the Rules Committee today," said Blunt. "This legislation was thoughtfully crafted with input from election experts, legal scholars, and senators on both sides of the aisle. I am grateful to the working group, led by Senators Collins and Manchin, for their dedicated efforts over the past year. The bill addresses the major flaws of the Electoral Count Act and merits the support of the full Senate."
Last month, Klobuchar and Blunt held a Rules Committee hearing to examine the need to update the Electoral Count Act. At the hearing, the Committee heard testimony from Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the leaders of the bipartisan group that drafted the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, as well as a bipartisan panel of legal scholars.
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