House Majority Whip James Clyburn Monday said he's very concerned that President Donald Trump keeps talking about potential issues with the November election "because that's what he has planned," but Congress can stop that by extending the time Americans have to cast their ballots.
"I feel strongly that Election Day will be Election Day, but we ought to have an 'election week,'" the South Carolina Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We can start voting 30 days out. Most states have absentee or early voting starting about 30 days out."
But Congress can pass a law saying all voting should begin 30 days ahead, with the goal of postmarking ballots at midnight on the Saturday before Election Day, said Clyburn, and not stopping the ballot-counting until polls close.
"If [Trump] refuses to sign this, I think that is what the American people will need to know about what his plans are," said Clyburn. "I've been saying for two years now that this man does not plan to have an election. He does not plan to leave the White House. He plans to install himself as America's first strongman. That's the record that he would like to establish, in my opinion."
Meanwhile, Clyburn said he thinks there is a "little bit" of progress toward passage of a coronavirus relief bill, but funds are needed now for people to be able to care for their families, and "we should provide it."
But many of the items on the Republican version of the bill are "not emergencies," including funding for a new FBI building.
"Let's concentrate on the American people and let's get them back to work to help them, and let's do what is necessary to get the country beyond this pandemic," said Clyburn.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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