Introduction of Constitutional Amendment to Eliminate the Electoral College and Provide for the Direct Election of the President and Vice President

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a constitutional amendment I introduced today to eliminate the electoral college and provide for the direct election of our nation's President and Vice President.

For the second time in recent memory, and for the fifth time in our history, we have a President-elect, who lost the popular vote.

The reason is because of an antiquated system that was established to prevent citizens from directly electing our nation's President.

That notion--that citizens should be prevented from directly electing the President--is antithetical to our understanding of democracy.

In our country, ``We the People,'' are supposed to determine who represents us in elective office.
Yet, we use an anachronistic process for choosing who will hold the highest offices in the land.
It is time for us to fix this, and that is why I have introduced this amendment today.

When the Founders established the electoral college it was in an era of limited nationwide communication. It was premised on a theory that citizens would have a better chance of knowing about electors from their home states than about presidential candidates from out-of-state.

The development of mass media and the internet, however, has made information about presidential candidates easily accessible to U.S. citizens across the country and around the world.

Today, citizens have a far better chance of knowing about out-of- state presidential candidates than knowing about presidential electors from their home states. Most people don't even know who their electors are.

As Thomas Jefferson said, ``I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might well as require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.''

Since our nation first adopted our Constitution, ``We the People,'' have amended it repeatedly to expand the opportunity for citizens to directly elect our leaders. What resulted was the following: The 15th Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens to vote, regardless of race.

The 19th Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens to vote, regardless of gender.

The 26th Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens 18 years of age and older to vote, regardless of age.
And the 17th Amendment empowers citizens to directly elect U.S.Senators.

We need to empower citizens to directly elect the President and the Vice President of the United States.

I am privileged to serve as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. My colleagues and I at the Judiciary Committee will be holding a forum next week to examine our outdated presidential election process. I hope members will attend and share their views.

Working together, I know we can fix this historical anomaly, and make our Constitution better reflect the ``more perfect Union'' to which it aspires.

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