On December 4, 2020, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Georgia to campaign for the re-election of two Republican senators.
On January 6th, when the world was watching, a joint session of Congress became even more uncertain. On the night of January 2, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, issued a sudden statement welcoming a challenge to the electoral college by House and Senate Republicans.
Pence will chair a joint session of Congress on January 6 to certify the electoral college vote.
“Vice President Pence shares the concerns of millions of Americans about voter fraud and irregularities in this election… The Vice President welcomes the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use their legal authority to raise objections on January 6 and to present the evidence to Congress and the American people.” “The statement said.
On the heels of Sen. Hawley’s announcement Wednesday that he would join an electoral college challenge led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Al), Cruz and 11 other senators issued a joint statement January 2, saying they would launch the Challenge On Jan. 6 and calling for 10 days of urgent reviews. At least 140 House Republicans have joined in, and dozens have made public announcements so far, CNN reported.
On January 2, Cruz and others posted a joint statement on the U.S. Senate website, saying, “We intend to vote on January 6 against the electors of disputed states whose ballots have not been ‘duly delivered’ and ‘legally certified’ (the legal requirement) until an emergency 10-day review is completed.”
The statement also noted that there is a precedent for members of Congress to challenge the results of presidential elections in a joint session every four years. “We should follow this precedent. To that end, Congress should immediately appoint an election commission with full investigative and fact-finding powers to conduct an urgent 10-day review of election results in disputed states. Once completed, each state will evaluate the commission’s findings and convene a special legislative session if necessary to certify the changes in the state’s electoral votes.”
Seven re-elected senators, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Mike Braun of Indiana, released the statement. And four senate-elect Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alaska.
The following is a translation of the statement.
The United States is a republic, and its leaders are elected in democratic elections. These elections, in turn, must be governed by the Constitution and federal and state laws.
When voters decide elections fairly and rule by law, the losing candidate should recognize and respect the legitimacy of the election. And if voters choose a new president, our country should have a peaceful transfer of power.
The 2020 election, like the 2016 election, is an uphill battle, with the margin of victory slim in many swing states. However, the 2020 election was marked by unprecedented allegations of electoral fraud, violations and weak enforcement of electoral laws, and other voting irregularities.
Although the extent and scope of fraud are disputed, it has always been a challenge in our elections. In any case, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election are greater than in any election we have seen in our lifetimes.
And these allegations are not just believed by one person, they are widespread. According to a Reuters/Ipsos Poll, 39 per cent of Americans believe the election was rigged. Sixty-seven percent of Republicans, 17 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of Independents hold this belief.
But some members of Congress disagree with that assessment, and so do many in the media.
But whether our elected officials or journalists believe it or not, the deep distrust of our democratic process will not magically disappear. This should be of concern to us all, and it is a continuing threat to the legitimacy of the elected government.
In an ideal world, the courts would hear the evidence and resolve these allegations of serious electoral fraud. The Supreme Court has twice had the opportunity to do so; Twice, the Supreme Court refused.
On January 6th It will be the duty of Parliament to vote on whether to accept the results of the 2020 election. That vote is the only constitutional power to consider and compel settlement of multiple charges of serious voter fraud.
There are precedents for members of Congress to challenge the outcome of presidential elections in a joint session every four years, as happened in 1969, 2001, 2005 and 2017. Moreover, in 1969 and 2005, Democratic senators joined Their Democratic counterparts in the House of Representatives to force votes in both houses to accept contested electoral votes for the presidency.
The most immediate precedent on this issue began in 1877, with serious allegations of fraud and illegal conduct in the previous presidential campaign of Hayes-Tilden. Specifically, it was alleged to be illegal to hold elections in three states: Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina.
In 1877, Congress did not ignore these allegations, and the media did not simply view those who made them as radicals trying to undermine democracy. Instead, Congress appointed an election committee, consisting of five senators, five members of the House of Representatives and five Supreme Court justices, to consider and resolve contentious issues.
We should follow this precedent. To that end, Congress should immediately appoint an election commission with full investigative and fact-finding powers to conduct an urgent 10-day review of election results in disputed states. Once completed, each state will evaluate the commission’s findings and, if necessary, convene a special legislative session to certify the changes in the state’s electoral votes.
Therefore, we intend to hold a vote on January 6 to deny contested states electoral votes that are not “duly awarded” and that are not “legally certified” (legally required) unless and until the end of an emergency 10-day audit.
We are not naive. We fully expected most (if not all) Democrats, and many more Republicans, to vote against it. But supporting electoral integrity should not be a partisan issue. A fair, credible audit should be done quickly and successfully by January 20. It will greatly improve The Confidence of Americans in our electoral process and greatly enhance the legitimacy of our next president, which we owe the American people.
These are matters that deserve the attention of Congress, and which we have been entrusted to defend. We are not taking this action lightly. Our action is not to stop the democratic process, but to protect it. All of us should act together to ensure that the elections are legally held in accordance with the Constitution and to do everything we can to restore confidence in democracy.”
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