At least 140 GOP lawmakers in the soon-to-be 117th Congress will object to the electoral college vote on January 6, some lawmakers predict.
Congress will formally count the electoral college votes from each state on January 6, three days after the new Congress is sworn in. While existing members and newcomers of the House have released statements indicating that they will object, some lawmakers expect there to be “at least 140 Republican Members of the House” joining the effort in objecting to the certification of a Joe Biden victory:
Similarly, Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA), who lost his party’s nomination earlier this year, reportedly told Forbes that the number of GOP lawmakers united in the effort is “staggering.”
“140 certainly seems possible. … I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a little higher,” he said, noting that “pressure” is mounting.
“I would be getting pressure right now,” he continued, explaining that colleagues know the move “keeps their base happy, they know it’ll keep the conference happy and they know it’s not gonna win anyway.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced on Wednesday that he plans to join House members in objecting to the electoral college votes.
“I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws,” Hawley said in a statement:
And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act,” he said. “For these reasons, I will follow the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues.
The rejections will trigger debates in both chambers, allowing Republicans to make their arguments.
Attorney General Karl Racine (D), meanwhile, is preparing for protests, as Trump supporters are expected to flock to the city next week.
“My level of anxiety is high,” Racine said during an appearance on The Takeout podcast. “My preparation is even more intense than that.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.