WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday predicted passage of a bill to address U.S. election procedures, including Congress’s role in certifying an election.
“I think absolutely it’ll pass,” Manchin, D-W.Va., said during a joint appearance with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“Will it be a step ahead? Will it be important for the country? Yeah,” said Murkowski. Both senators described a bipartisan group working on reforms.
Mike Pence last week rejected Donald Trump’s claims that as vice president he had the power on Jan. 6, 2021, to void the 2020 election result and refuse to certify President Joe Biden’s victory. Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol and sparked a deadly riot.
Manchin tied the riot to flaws in the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which senators are considering
changing.
“They thought there was a kind of an ambiguity, if you will, and there was an avenue they could go through and maybe overturn the election. Because there was. It was not clear,” Manchin said. “This is what we’re going to fix.”
Asked about his support for the bill on Monday, Manchin told The Dominion Post, “The events of Jan. 6 were one of the darkest days in our nation’s history and certainly the darkest day in our lifetimes. We have to ensure nothing like that ever happens again. That’s why I’m leading a bipartisan group to protect the security of our elections.
“We are coming to the table to discuss how we can better protect the right to vote for every American,” he said. “These things take time but we continue to make progress and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished thus far and I’m confident we will get this compromise across the finish line.”
The office of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she also supports the bill.
“Senator Capito is part of a bipartisan group of senators working to consider changes to the Electoral Count Act of 1887 that would ensure the electoral votes from each state are protected,” her office said. “At this time, the group is continuing to meet to build consensus for potential legislative action.”
Also during the Sunday appearance, Manchin endorsed Murkowski for reelection.
“I’m endorsing my dear friend Lisa Murkowski. Alaska could only be so lucky to have her continue to serve,” Manchin said.
Murkowski, a moderate, backed the second effort to impeach Donald Trump and has publicly quarreled with the former president. He has endorsed GOP rival Kelly Tshibaka, making the election a proxy battle over the direction of the Republican Party.
Manchin has attracted attention for resisting the Democratic-backed “Build Back Better” spending bill. He has repeatedly won elections even as Republicans increase their share of voters in his state.
Murkowski reciprocated by backing Manchin, who would be up for reelection in 2024. “If he’s running, I’m endorsing him,” she said.
