U.S. Senator Ted Cruz will challenge the results of the electoral vote submitted by Arizona at a joint meeting on Jan. 6, people familiar with the matter said. Cruz file photo.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) plans to formally oppose the results of the Electoral College vote from Arizona during a joint session of Congress on Wednesday (Jan. 6), The Washington Post quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying.
Georgia U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (D), who is seeking re-election, plans to oppose the Electoral College vote results submitted by Joe State on Jan. 6. And Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Ga.) has pledged to contest the general election results submitted by Pennsylvania.
On Jan. 2, Cruz led the charge along with 10 other senators to ask Congress to establish an emergency audit committee on general election fraud, or else they intend to vote against the Electoral College vote results from the disputed state at a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6. But until Tuesday, Cruz had refused to say which states he would challenge.
According to the Washington Post, a person familiar with Cruz’s plans said Cruz will join Arizona U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R) in challenging the Arizona results. The person said at least some of the 10 senators who joined Cruz on Jan. 2 to announce challenges to election results in some of the contested states may join Cruz and Biggs in their challenges to Arizona.
On Jan. 6, the Senate president, Vice President Pence, will preside over a joint session on the House floor where electoral votes will be read and counted alphabetically by two members appointed by each House and Senate. Of the several contested states, Arizona is at the top of the list in alphabetical order. The WaPo says that for Cruz, the challenge to Arizona in Wednesday’s joint session is not necessarily related to the state itself, but more likely because it will be the first contested state to be read, allowing Cruz to push Congress to set up an emergency election commission to audit election fraud in the early stages of the joint session.
In an interview with conservative host Mark Levin on Monday night, Cruz said his focus was not on trying to overturn the election results.
“It seems to me that Congress should fulfill our responsibility under the Constitution to go out and review serious allegations of voter fraud.” Cruz said.
Cruz added: “That’s why I’ve put together a coalition of 11 senators and we’re going to vote against the electoral (results) in (some states) — not to set aside the election, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do — but to urge the appointment of an election commission. -but to urge the appointment of an election commission that can hear allegations of voter fraud, hear the evidence and make a judgment about what the facts are and to what extent the law was followed.”
On Monday night, Cruz held a conference call with 10 other senators, as well as some House members, whose overall strategy has still not been released to the public. The president’s allies have discussed about six states that could be challenged, although only Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania have been specifically identified by senators.
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