Reform Of Electoral Count Act, Which Trump Tried To Exploit On Jan. 6, Becomes Law

As part of the $1.7 trillion bill the House passed to fund the government, lawmakers agreed to reform the 1887 Electoral Count Act. The change in rules directly resulted from the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

The law will change parts of the elections operations former President Donald Trump attempted to exploit following his 2020 loss. The changes are part of a bipartisan statement rejecting the “Big Lie” about the 2020 election and strengthening election integrity.

The bill passed the Senate with 68 Senators voting in favor. It also garnered 225 affirmative votes in the House.

The law clarifies that the Vice President’s role is ceremonial, raises the number of House and Senate members needed to review counts and makes it harder for states to cancel elections.

Senator Jamie Raskin (D–Maryland) said that he voted for the bill but didn’t think it went far enough.

“I’m for that, and that’s the very least we can do, and we must do. It’s necessary, but it’s not remotely sufficient,” he told Face the Nation.

Raskin, who served on the January 6 committee, said that the real problem is the electoral college. In the interview, he said the current electoral operations leave space for “strategic mischief.”

The bill also sends money to Ukraine, increases the budget for the Pentagon and puts aside more funds for disaster aid.