Congressman Schiff on House Passage of the Presidential Election Reform Act
“Over the past year, the bipartisan January 6 Committee has conducted a thorough and nonpartisan investigation into the multiple lines of effort by President Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. We have interviewed hundreds of witnesses and received thousands of documents while pursuing a singular goal: to expose the facts of this assault on our democracy, and ensure that underlying vulnerabilities in our democracy – vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a future presidential election – are addressed. Armed with this knowledge, members of our committee are now working on numerous legislative remedies that can strengthen the foundation of our democracy.
“The Presidential Election Reform Act ensures the will of the American people, as reflected in their vote, cannot be overturned by any official, of any political party, at any time or for any purpose. Consistent with the Constitution, it raises the threshold for challenging a slate of electors during a Joint Session of Congress, reaffirms the role of the Vice President is merely ministerial, and, perhaps most important, affirms that state officials cannot change the rules of an election after the fact to negate the will of the voters. This bill will ensure that the foundation of our democracy – free and fair elections, and the peaceful transfer of power – remains in place for future generations of Americans.
“I commend my colleagues, Chairperson Lofgren and Congresswoman Cheney, for working so collaboratively in writing such a comprehensive bill, and look forward to seeing it reconciled quickly with the Senate’s proposal before the end of this Congress.”
###