What’s in the House, Senate bills overhauling Jan. 6 count

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The central idea behind House and Senate bills to reform an arcane federal election law is simple: Congress should not decide presidential elections. The bills are a response to the Jan. 6 insurrection and ex-President Donald Trump’s efforts to find a way around the Electoral Count Act. That 19th-century law governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners, along with the U.S. Constitution. The House begins debating its version of the legislation Wednesday. A Senate committee considers its bipartisan bill next week. Democratic and Republican supporters in both chambers want to pass an overhaul before the start of the next Congress and ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign cycle.