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Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said he thinks he will vote for Electoral Count Act changes

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley on Wednesday expressed support for proposed changes to the Electoral Count Act, which would clarify rules governing presidential elections and the counting of electoral votes.

"I have not read the bill, but I have read a lot about the bill," Grassley, a Republican, told reporters Wednesday. "And I think that I'm going to vote for it."

Grassley said he would wait to read it before making a final decision about his vote.

The bipartisan effort to amend the Electoral Count Act of 1887 comes after former President Donald Trump and his allies attempted to exploit ambiguities in the law following the 2020 election to reject electoral votes that were cast for President Joe Biden.

More:Bipartisan group of senators announce deal to reform Electoral Count Act


The bill will need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the evenly divided Senate. Even if all 50 Senate Democrats are in favor, it will need at least 10 Republican votes. Nine Republicans were part of the bipartisan negotiations on the bill, and Grassley's support could bring them to 10.

The legislation would clarify that the vice president’s role in presiding over the counting of electoral votes is purely ceremonial, ensuring that the vice president would not have the power to unilaterally reject or accept electoral votes.

 
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