[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                          ELECTORAL COUNT ACT

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to mark the fact that Monday's 
joint session of Congress was the first time that Congress certified 
the results of a Presidential election with the much-needed and 
significant reforms in place to the Electoral Count Act that we enacted 
in 2022 with broad bipartisan support.
  Senators from both parties came together to enact these critical 
updates to address ambiguities in the law that those trying to subvert 
the will of the American people tried to exploit 4 years ago--and to 
ensure that nothing like the chaos of January 6, 2021, ever happens 
again. Importantly these reforms ensure the electoral votes for 
President accurately reflect each State's election results, including 
raising the threshold to challenge a State's electoral votes from just 
one Member of the House and one Member of the Senate to one-fifth of 
each Chamber and preventing State legislatures from appointing 
electoral slates against the will of the voters. The updated law also 
sets deadlines for States when certifying their election results in an 
effort to ensure that the peaceful transfer of power is carried out in 
line with the requirements set forth in the Constitution.
  Some have noted that while Kansas' electors met as required on 
December 17, 2024, and the certificate conveying Kansas' electoral 
votes was received by the Senate in line with the updated law, the 
State's certificate of ascertainment was inadvertently issued 1 day 
late on December 12 rather than December 11. Moving forward, it is 
important that States make all possible efforts to meet this deadline 
and the others set by the Electoral Count Reform Act to ensure the 
timely certification of Presidential election results and to support 
the administration of the peaceful transition of power that is the 
foundation of our democracy.

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