Democrats took over the House Thursday and ardent critic of the president, Rep. Steve Cohen was at the ready introducing a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college.
Democrats have harped over the results of the 2016 election in which then-candidate Donald Trump won the electoral college to claim the presidency and Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won a majority of the popular vote. America’s founding fathers enshrined the electoral college in the Constitution.
On Thursday Cohen brought forward two Constitutional amendments, one of which would eliminate the electoral college.
“In two presidential elections since 2000, including the most recent one in which Hillary Clinton won 2.8 million more votes than her opponent, the winner of the popular vote did not win the election because of the distorting effect of the outdated Electoral College,” Cohen said in a statement on his amendment. Despite the fact that the electoral college process is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, Cohen asserted, “Americans expect and deserve the winner of the popular vote to win office.”
President Trump won the 2016 presidential election 304 electoral votes to Clinton’s just 227. Clinton took home over 4.2 million votes in 2016 over Trump in deep blue California, a far greater margin than she won the popular vote across the country.
“More than a century ago, we amended our Constitution to provide for the direct election of U.S. Senators,” Cohen went on. “It is past time to directly elect our President and Vice President.”
His second constitutional amendment would prohibit the President of the United States from pardoning him or herself, family, administration, or campaign staff.
The amendments are not likely to pass as they require a two-thirds vote that Democrats do not hold.
Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook
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