Democrats zero in on 1887 law pivotal to 2020 election plot
WASHINGTON — One year after the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, Congress is eying new laws to prevent future attempts to subvert democracy, with the goal of passing legislation this year.
The House committee investigating the riot is considering "enhanced penalties" for presidential dereliction of duty, as Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., says it has evidence that former President Donald Trump sat idly by and watched the violence unfold on television.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the committee, said lawmakers are examining clarifications and changes to the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which governs the counting of electoral votes for president in Congress, a tradition that sparked the violence as Trump supporters seized on the day to try to prevent President Joe Biden's win from being finalized.
"We found out, surprisingly, how poorly written it is, how ambiguous many of its provisions are, how simply things could be triggered without merit. And so we're looking at how to reform that in a way that would have support across the spectrum, in terms of constitutional scholars," Schiff said, saying the status quo is "a point of great vulnerability in terms of our democracy."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-zero-in-on-1887-law-pivotal-to-2020-election-plot/ar-AASrL95
