Democrats stick it to Republican cheating efforts
Republicans steadfastly refused to support the spending bill passed by the Senate. These lawmakers would rather see the government shut down than to cross the aisle and help the country. It passed despite them with a final vote of 68-29. Not only does the bill keep the government open through the fall, but some very important pieces of legislation are included. NBC News reported that Majority Leader Schumer called the bill: “One of the most significant appropriations packages we’ve done in a really long time.” One of the best aspects of this bill has nothing to do with spending and everything to do with stopping what Donald Trump did from ever happening again.
Associated Press calls this legislation “the most significant legislative response Congress has made yet to Trump’s aggressive efforts to upend the 2020 election.” From its inception, the House Select Committee’s goal was legislative and not partisan as Trump and his cronies alleged. Overhauling the Electoral Count Act, a law that has been in place since 1887, is where they began. According to AP, the way the legislation is written, it will be more difficult for future presidents to behave as Trump did. The legislation was adopted by the Senate and now awaits President Biden’s signature. AP quoted law professor Rick Hansen: “This law goes a long way toward shutting down the avenues Trump and his allies tried to use in 2020 and could have been exploited in future elections.” They should call it the sore losers’ bill since no other losing president has had the audacity to pull off such nonsense and create chaos that continues to plague the country.
In addition to stopping sore loser presidents, the bill raises the threshold required for Congress members to object to certification. The objections raised in 2020 were ridiculous, and the objectors carried on with their meaningless objections even after the Capitol had been attacked and they were in danger. That behavior shows just how ridiculous some elected officials can be and why their behavior required action. The bill also reiterates the vice president’s role as merely ceremonial and that he or she has no power to determine the winner. Instead of holding up the process as Republicans did on January 6, they will now be required to have the support of one-fifth of each chamber to force a vote on objections. Also safeguarding against Trump’s shenanigans, the bill includes a provision that ensures that only one slate of electors is presented to Congress, and it closes a loophole that allows state legislatures to name electors despite the will of the people.
Everyone wanted to complain about the Democratic-majority in the House, but they accomplished things that will keep us on track for the foreseeable future. The House Select Committee did a fantastic job of getting to the bottom of January 6, and they ended their investigation with criminal referrals. If the next House is led by Kevin McCarthy, we can expect chaos and nothingness. Their focus is and always has been on revenge, not the people who sent them to Washington in the first place.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years