James Clyburn defends federal takeover of elections: ‘Cannot be left up to the states’

9 January، 2022

0 1 minute read

[ad_1]

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., defended federal involvement in elections, citing Alexander Hamilton while claiming election loss “cannot be left up to the states.”

This week marked one year since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that occurred on the day that Congress set to certify President Biden’s win in the 2020 election over former President Donald Trump. The controversy around the post-election days focused on Trump’s efforts to challenge election losses in key states, including Georgia where State Secretary Brad Raffensperger famously rebuffed the then-president’s effort to find more votes.

The dispute revived a long-standing argument over the role of federal officials in elections that some believe should remain entirely under the control of local and state officials.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina and chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell yesterday said the U.S. economy has a long way to go before fully recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and will need further support. Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

But Clyburn believes that federal officials know exactly what they are doing, and they should retain their roles in such elections.

GAME ON BETWEEN BIDEN AND TRUMP AS PRESIDENT APPEARS TO GIVE FIRST SPEECH OF THE 2024 WHITE HOUSE RACE

“I am a federal official, but I understand very well how federal elections are run,” Clyburn argued on “Fox News Sunday.” “Most people who are now serving at the federal level have at one time served in some capacity at the state and local levels as well, so they too have an understanding.”