Chuck Schumer: Omnibus expected to include Electoral Count Act, Ukraine funding

The HIll ^ | 12/13/22 10:53 AM ET | BY ALEXANDER BOLTON

[RandFan]

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday that he expects a year-end omnibus spending package to include the Electoral Count Act, which clarifies the vice president’s role in certifying a presidential election as ministerial, and more funding for Ukraine.

Congressional negotiators have been deadlocked for weeks over the top-line defense and non-defense discretionary spending numbers, but Schumer on Tuesday said he is optimistic a deal will be reached soon.

“I expect an omnibus will contain priorities both sides want to see passed into law, including more funding for Ukraine and the Electoral Count Act, which my colleagues in the Rules Committee have done great work on. It will be great to get that done,” Schumer said.

The Electoral Count Act would clarify that the constitutional role of the vice president is solely ministerial when Congress convenes in a joint session every four years to certify the results of a presidential election.

The language is intended to resolve any ambiguity about whether the vice president has the power to overturn the vote of the Electoral College, something that former President Trump claimed was possible after losing the 2020 presidential election.

The legislation also provides for expedited judicial review of legal challenges to a state’s slate of electors, allowing such claims to go to a three-judge panel with a direct appeal to the Supreme Court.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) stood up on the floor after Schumer spoke on Tuesday to endorse more funding for Ukraine.

[pierrem15]

They don't have to launder money through Ukraine: all the big laundering is right there in the open in these spending bills. Pork galore directed at political supporters of both parties, billions for contractors, special carve outs and tax breaks for Republicans, cheap labor on immigration, "free trade," billions more for public employees and for "NGO's" working as front groups for the Democrat Party.

They all get the party, we get the hangover.

[Brilliant]

Is this the act Cheney put her name on? I so then I don’t have a problem with it. I’ve read it. It doesn’t do much and what it does is not very controversial. But if they are going to insert some of the Dems’ wishlist then I have a problem with it.

[Mouton]

I cannot choose between turkey neck and scummer which one I’d love to see vapor lock. So I guess both.

[clintonh8r]

Of course he is. Opposing it would require some work.

[hattend]

Make a separate bill for each item in this all inclusive BS bill. What else do these crooks have to do? More Vacations at taxpayers expense?

[blackdog]

None of this would be happening if the governor of the states appointed their senators. The 17th amendment changed that to a direct election of senators. BIG MISTAKE.

[Rappini]

At first they said there was no such thing but now they’re trying to make sure it won’t ever be used in the future.

[1Old Pro]

The Electoral Count Act would clarify that the constitutional role of the vice president is solely ministerial when Congress convenes in a joint session every four years to certify the results of a presidential election. PROOF that FPOS Pence DID HAVE authority he claims he dint have...

Yep, otherwise, why bother?

[StAnDeliver]

"In typical leftist misdirection, I have no doubt that the Congressional leaders behind this would like to insert “certify” or “certification” into the process for the first time."

Pretty close.

"The legislation also provides for expedited judicial review of legal challenges to a state’s slate of electors, allowing such claims to go to a three-judge panel with a direct appeal to the Supreme Court."

Exquisitely unconstitutional. A DC 3-judge panel is not overturning 2020 if you throw those same dice a trillion times. Total garbage. This is exactly why we need a new Constitutional Convention.

Only 3 items may be considered in the Constitutional Convention Order of Business:

• 1) Remove every reference in the United States Constitution to "slavery". No other changes may be made in this regard.
• 2) Every Election Day on a 2- and 4-year basis to be a permanent Federal holiday, 1st Tuesday in November, whereupon the winner is known no later than noon ET the following day. Best practices to be enforced per counter-signed Voter ID and optical ballot, with all pre-election absentee balloting conducted per the foregoing rules in person at the local Election Board, and concluded by end-of-business the day before Election Day.
• 3) Reduce Senate terms to 4 years and forcibly align them with Presidential election years, so that every incoming President has the opportunity to work with a fresh reset of both chambers. No changes to House elections.

[mass55th]

“The language is intended to resolve any ambiguity about whether the vice president has the power to overturn the vote of the Electoral College..."

If, as Democrats, Mike Pence, and Rinos claimed on Jan. 6th, that the V.P. has no Constitutional authority to reject any electors, based on what's already in the Constitution, why do they need to add a specific Act regarding it, to an already existing Bill?

[Vermont Lt]

Generally speaking, if the Constitution doesn’t specify rules, the Congress can codify them. Then the Supreme Court would asses any challenge.

[Gene Eric]

Anything that scumbag wants should be blocked

[Vermont Lt]

The election process that happens at Constitutional direction is based on rules established in Congress. Not sure why this is so difficult for folks. I understand it didn’t go the way you wanted, but take a couple of minutes to understand how stuff works before getting all worked up over it.

The 2020 election was done long before it got to Congress.

[mass55th]

"Then the Supreme Court would asses..."

Yeah, they are a bunch of asses.

[StAnDeliver]

"PROOF that FPOS Pence DID HAVE authority he claims he dint have..."

No, Pence had the authority to entertain, in the manner prescribed by the Constitution, joint congressional Objections to each state's slate of electors.

And that is what he did. VP Pence approved the 1+1 Objection to the AZ elector slate (by Cruz and Gosar) just before everyone was moved down out of the Capitol -- where Pence was ensconsed in the DC Congressional subway with more security than probably anyone other than Trump -- and Pence approved the 1+1 Objection to the PA elector slate after they returned, once the protestor tours were concluded, rejecting enormous pressure to simply ignore the PA challenge, which ensued long after midnight.

"If a senator does go along with a challenge, then the House and Senate retire to their own chambers for a period of "not more than two hours," according to the Congressional Research Service, and members get up to five minutes to speak in favor or against the objection.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will preside over the House debate, and aides say the Democratic response will be led by California Reps. Adam Schiff and Zoe Lofgren, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin and Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse.

Then each chamber will vote, with a simple majority required to uphold the objection. Both chambers must agree to the objection for it to succeed."

VP Biden entertained Objections in 2016 from McGovern, Raskin, Jayapal, Lee, and Grijalva.

I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really do not want to truthbomb this thread with the entirety of the law regarding 3USC, the 12th Amendment, and the (existing) Electoral Count Act, and how it all transpired in 2016 and 2020. But I will.

[StAnDeliver]

It's important to understand, Trump knew he had the Article II power to dismiss Congress on Jan 6. He had been advised of his Article II power from Day One of his Administration, by everyone from Bannon to Kushner:

"He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States." - The Constitution of the United States, Article II, Section 3

In April 2020, President Trump threatened to use Article II to dismiss Congress over blocking him from recess appointments. President Trump knew he had that power -- the exact same power he would have used to remand the presented elector's slates in 2020 back to each state's legislature.

Most of Trump's latest missives are rooted in his regret over not having done so.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

More funding for the Ukraine while the invasion of the US continues. We’ve had 110,000 who died in the USA from the fentanyl coming across the Biden open border. How many have died in the Ukraine?

[rlmorel]

Indeed.

[Libloather]

Does Chuckles know that Brandon took bribes from the chicoms?

[lgjhn23]

“..Because of deep state McConnell there is no republican half of the Senate. It is all democrat....”

Yep. And McCarthy ain’t a lick better...he’s all mouth, no balls and no spine.
It’s just one, big, fat, happy bird (UniParty) with two wings that crap all over America.