Hoyer Floor Remarks on the Presidential Election Reform Act
“Madam Speaker, Congress has a sacred duty to uphold our elections and to safeguard our democratic process. I rise in strong support of that mission. I am not surprised that we hear on this Floor the rationalization of insurrection. The rationalization of what I believe was treason. And I rise with extraordinary respect for the gentlelady from Wyoming, as Republican as any Member of that side of the aisle, save a willingness to stand and speak truth to power. To honor facts, to honor the Constitution. And I applaud her for it.”
"I hear my friend, Mr. Davis, speaking about this being a partisan issue. This is an American issue. This is a democracy issue. This is a values issue. And those who come to this well or speak
from the Floor to try to rationalize the invitation given by President Trump, the incitement stated by President Trump, and the deployment of a mob to fight like hell and stop the steal. I advise my colleagues, I urge my colleagues, look at Vice President Gore's comments when he lost the election 5-4. He honored the court's decision. Not because he agreed with it. But because he said it was good for America and our democracy. I call attention to the remarks of Hillary Clinton when she lost to President Trump. That night, knowing that she had gotten three million more votes, conceded because the law is the Electoral College makes that decision. In 1864, despite the turmoil of civil war, President Lincoln, President Lincoln, President Lincoln would be standing with Liz Cheney if he were on this Floor. President Lincoln went to great lengths to ensure that Americans had the opportunity to make their voices heard in a national election. He argued that, and I quote, ‘free government cannot exist without elections’ and that, ‘if rebellion could force us to forego or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us.’”"There are ambiguities in our electoral system and they can jeopardize our democracy. That's what this bill is about: upholding our democracy. Questions surrounding the Vice President's role in counting electoral votes served as a pretext for the insurrectionists’ assault on the Capitol. Fortunately, their conspiracy, their plot, failed. In that incident that the gentleman from Georgia talked about, police officers died. Civilians died. Hundreds were injured severely in that incident. What a polite word for treason and insurrection. That tragic and dangerous episode, however, underscored the importance of clarifying any uncertainties that future malevolent actors could exploit to undermine the will of the American people as expressed through their votes."
“The bipartisan legislation the Presidential Election Reform Act provides the clarity necessary. It reaffirms, as former Vice President Mike Pence correctly concluded, which is why those incidents were calling for the death of the Vice President with a noose hanging out in front of the Capitol and why they were calling for the life of the
Speaker of the House in that incident. That Vice President concluded he did not have and does not have the authority to delay or reject the counting of electoral votes. Why? Because we're a nation of laws. A nation of the Constitution. That principle was established in both the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act of 1887.”“Not only would this legislation raise the threshold required to object to a state's slate of electors from the ridiculously low one of one House Member and one Senator, to one-third of the membership. At least 152 million people ought to be given that respect, who voted in that election. That at least a third of us would have to rise to overturn their judgment. This bill also restricts the grounds on which objections could be made, limiting the ability of Members to lodge frivolous and partisan objections. The bill also contains important provisions to restrict the ability of state and local elected officials to undermine or overturn the process of tabulating and certifying results in their jurisdictions. People elect the President. Not state legislatures, not this Congress, the American people elect the President.”
“We must now come together, not as Republicans, not as Democrats, not as partisans, but as protectors. We raised our hands and said we would protect the Constitution and laws of this nation. This is one of those days that we get to meet that oath. Let me conclude, because not only did Lincoln argue that elections were essential to free government, he made clear his belief, ‘elections belong to the people. It's their choice.” That is what this legislation is about. Stand up for your country. Stand up for the people. Vote for this bill.”
