Jan. 6 Committee Privately Split on Reforms Like Abolishing Electoral College

Members of the January 6 committee are split on how to handle reform recommendations in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot, Axios reports.

The committee plans to release a set of recommendations after its upcoming televised hearings on reforms to prevent another Jan. 6 from happening.

Some members of the committee are pushing to recommend big changes on voting rights or even to abolish the Electoral College.

Lawmakers have expressed a desire to recommend voting rights expansions like same-day voter registration.

The committee may also recommend changes to the Insurrection Act, to make it more difficult for a president to deploy the military against civilians inside the U.S.

Cheney opposes Democratic push:

The bigger changes have been pushed by Democrats but Republican Vice-Chair Liz Cheney “flatly opposes some of the more sweeping election law reforms” backed by Democrats on the committee.

The biggest differences are between Cheney and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a constitutional law scholar, who has been the most outspoken member on voting rights.

"Liz is much more conservative, as far as what kinds of changes she wants to see done," a source told Axios.

Raskin pushes to abolish Electoral College:

Raskin has argued that abolishing the Electoral College would prevent Trump-style subversion that the former president tried to pull off on January 6.

Cheney worries that such a recommendation would burn the committee’s credibility.

California Democrat Adam Schiff also backs the idea but is more focused on reforming the Electoral Count Act.

Cheney has been more open to reforming the law, which Trump tried to exploit, but has no interest in bigger voting rights recommendations.

Cheney has also discussed toughening criminal penalties for “supreme dereliction of duties” and other Trump actions.

 

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