Gottheimer recognizes the anniversary of January 6th attack

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Friday recognized the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol and highlighted how the Electoral Count Reform Act — bipartisan legislation Gottheimer led in the House that has now been signed into law — will preserve the integrity of our elections and protect democracy.

Gottheimer was joined at a press conference outside the Capitol this morning by Congressman Dean Phillips (MN-3), a cosponsor of the Electoral Reform Act.

The bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act, which was recently signed into law, reforms and modernizes the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 to ensure that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s vote for President. It replaces ambiguous provisions of the 19th-century law with clear procedures that maintain appropriate state and federal roles in selecting the President and Vice President of the United States as set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

“Two years ago on this day, my colleagues and I — both Democrats and Republicans — sat side by side in the House Chamber to certify the duly elected President when lawless thugs from across the country breached the United States Capitol — the beacon of democracy for the world,” Gottheimer said. “Domestic terrorists came to the Capitol that day in an attempt to upend our democracy and our nation’s more than 230-year tradition of a peaceful transition of power. They sought to pressure Vice President Pence to unilaterally overturn the results of the 2020 election. Their attempted obstruction failed, and our democracy persevered. Once again, America was triumphant.”

“Now, instead of letting that day divide us, Republicans and Democrats came together in both the House and Senate to protect our electoral system and the will of the American people, and to help ensure an attack on our Capitol never happens again. The bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act — now law — reforms and modernizes the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 and ensures that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s vote for President, further enshrining the power of each and every citizen’s vote. It will also replace archaic provisions of the nineteenth-century law to clearly designate the roles of the federal government when selecting the President and Vice President as set forth in the U.S. Constitution,” Gottheimer said.