Congress is finally closing an election loophole Trump exploited

Congress spent its last few days before the holidays as so many other Americans have: frantically. It was Thursday afternoon, just shy of a potential Christmas Eve shutdown, that the Senate passed an omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through the fall of 2023. [VIEW IN BROWSER]( MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news [VIEW IN BROWSER]( MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news Dec. 24, 2022 THE LATEST [Alternate text] [Congress is finally closing an election loophole Trump exploited]( by Hayes Brown Congress spent its last few days before the holidays as so many other Americans have: frantically. It was Thursday afternoon, just shy of a potential Christmas Eve shutdown, that the Senate passed an[omnibus spending bill]( to fund the federal government through the fall of 2023. The $1.7 trillion shopping list was long, but tucked in among the must-have line items of the year was a set of long-needed [changes to the Electoral Count Act](. That's the 1887 law whose vagaries were key to former President Donald Trump's bid to overturn the 2020 election. That these reforms got done at all is a minor Christmas miracle. And while they aren't a panacea against the anti-democratic movement that Trump has championed, they are a start. What's more, these minor changes would have been impossible to accomplish in just a few weeks when Republicans take over the House. This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. [Read his full column here](.     TOP STORIES [Alternate text] [STEVE BENEN]( [Not even Trump's biggest supporters backed his main complaint about the Jan. 6 report]( Trump isn't happy about being the inevitable antagonist in the Jan. 6 report. [Read more.]( [A photo of the Capitol]( [JORDAN RUBIN]( [Here's the real winner of Congress' massive spending bill]( There's no excuse for Congress failing to pass common sense drug reform. [Read more.]( [A photo of George Santos]( [DEAN OBEIDALLAH]( [There's one tragic explanation for how George Santos got so far with his lies]( In George Santos' version of "Catch Me If You Can," hardly anybody tried to catch him. [Read more.]( [A photo of Miles Bron]( [JAMES DOWNIE]( [How Netflix’s 'Glass Onion' exposes the Elon Musk myth]( Edward Norton's Miles Bron may be fictional, but his overinflated opinion of his own mind is all too familiar.Read more.]( TOP VIDEOS [Alternate text] [A photo of Trump]( [MORNING JOE]( [The 'thunderbolt' at the end of Jan. 6 report could jeopardize Trump's political future]( [A photo of Mitch McConnell]( [MORNING JOE]( [Mitch McConnell says Trump's 'clout has diminished']( [A photo of the Capitol]( [KATY TUR]( [House passes $1.7 trillion spending bill, averts government shutdown]( [A photo of Buffalo]( [CHRIS JANSING REPORTS]( [Buffalo mayor: 'People can feel their homes moving' during the winter storm](     MORE FROM MSNBC [Alternate text] Tonight, MSNBC presents a special Christmas Eve marathon, kicking off with an encore presentation of the documentary short film “The Sentence of Michael Thompson” at 6 p.m. ET and rounding out with “Paper & Glue” at 11 p.m. ET. Then, join MSNBC for another marathon tomorrow, with “Love & The Constitution” beginning at 4 p.m. ET and “From Devil’s Breath,” part of the MSNBC Films documentary series "The Turning Point," wrapping up Christmas at midnight. Don't miss these holiday marathons, today and tomorrow on MSNBC.   The final episode of "Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra" is now available. After the sedition trial collapses, the Justice Department prosecutor at its helm heads to occupied Germany and uncovers a bombshell threat to American democracy. Upon his return to the States, he decides to publicly name names. Listen to all eight episodes of "[Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra"](now, wherever you get your podcasts.   [Image] [Image] 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 [PRIVACY]( | [CONTACT]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE](listvar=sub_daily) [PRIVACY]( | [CONTACT]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE](listvar=sub_daily)