Glad to see this.
Montreal, Canada – 20 August 2017: Gay rainbow flag at Montreal gay pride parade with blurred participants in the background
January 2, 2021
202-228-7561
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Senators-Elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) issued the following statement in advance of the Electoral College certification process on January 6, 2021:
“America is a Republic whose leaders are chosen in democratic elections. Those elections, in turn, must comply with the Constitution and with federal and state law.
“When the voters fairly decide an election, pursuant to the rule of law, the losing candidate should acknowledge and respect the legitimacy of that election. And, if the voters choose to elect a new office-holder, our Nation should have a peaceful transfer of power.
“The election of 2020, like the election of 2016, was hard fought and, in many swing states, narrowly decided. The 2020 election, however, featured unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities.
“Voter fraud has posed a persistent challenge in our elections, although its breadth and scope are disputed. By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes.
“And those allegations are not believed just by one individual candidate. Instead, they are widespread. Reuters/Ipsos polling, tragically, shows that 39% of Americans believe ‘the election was rigged.’ That belief is held by Republicans (67%), Democrats (17%), and Independents (31%).
“Some Members of Congress disagree with that assessment, as do many members of the media.
“But, whether or not our elected officials or journalists believe it, that deep distrust of our democratic processes will not magically disappear. It should concern us all. And it poses an ongoing threat to the legitimacy of any subsequent administrations.
“Ideally, the courts would have heard evidence and resolved these claims of serious election fraud. Twice, the Supreme Court had the opportunity to do so; twice, the Court declined.
“On January 6, it is incumbent on Congress to vote on whether to certify the 2020 election results. That vote is the lone constitutional power remaining to consider and force resolution of the multiple allegations of serious voter fraud.
“At that quadrennial joint session, there is long precedent of Democratic Members of Congress raising objections to presidential election results, as they did in 1969, 2001, 2005, and 2017. And, in both 1969 and 2005, a Democratic Senator joined with a Democratic House Member in forcing votes in both houses on whether to accept the presidential electors being challenged.
“The most direct precedent on this question arose in 1877, following serious allegations of fraud and illegal conduct in the Hayes-Tilden presidential race. Specifically, the elections in three states-Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina-were alleged to have been conducted illegally.
“In 1877, Congress did not ignore those allegations, nor did the media simply dismiss those raising them as radicals trying to undermine democracy. Instead, Congress appointed an Electoral Commission-consisting of five Senators, five House Members, and five Supreme Court Justices-to consider and resolve the disputed returns.
“We should follow that precedent. To wit, Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission’s findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed.
“Accordingly, we intend to vote on January 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not ‘regularly given’ and ‘lawfully certified’ (the statutory requisite), unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed.
“We are not naïve. We fully expect most if not all Democrats, and perhaps more than a few Republicans, to vote otherwise. But support of election integrity should not be a partisan issue. A fair and credible audit-conducted expeditiously and completed well before January 20-would dramatically improve Americans’ faith in our electoral process and would significantly enhance the legitimacy of whoever becomes our next President. We owe that to the People.
“These are matters worthy of the Congress, and entrusted to us to defend. We do not take this action lightly. We are acting not to thwart the democratic process, but rather to protect it. And every one of us should act together to ensure that the election was lawfully conducted under the Constitution and to do everything we can to restore faith in our Democracy.”
BS, need I say more?
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Did you read the entire thing?
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es. It looks like a stonewall to me. Object outright or shut up and sit down. I think this is intended to placate their constituents.
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How does this qualify as a “stonewall”? It is the proper constitutional procedure.
“We should follow that precedent. To wit, Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission’s findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed.
“Accordingly, we intend to vote on January 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not ‘regularly given’ and ‘lawfully certified’ (the statutory requisite), unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed.
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Rejecting the electors from the disputed states IS an outright objection.
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It sounds as though they are not contesting legitimately. I think there is too much contingency here. I don’t think the option of this commission is mandatory. After the house and Senate vote to not form a commission that’s the end of the game and these Senators are off the hook.
Where is Hawley’s name on this? Or Perdue and Loeffler?
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Of course this is a political move, since Josh Hawley has already created a situation where there will be a roll call vote in the Senate. The contest is legitimate, even though the motives aren’t “pure”. We need to use this as leverage – email and call your Senators and representatives, keep the pressure on Republican senators and force them all to go on the record.
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I agree that this needs to be taken advantage of. I just think the best way to do that is to try to let the constituents of these Senators know they are being taken advantage of. That puts the most pressure on these Senators. They need that. Their motives are suspect.
As for my Senators, I don’t think it would be productive for me to call Feinstein’s or Padilla’s / Harris’ office.
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So call other senators, like Romney (for example.)
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Perhaps I will. But the first thing they want to know is if you are a constituent. If not, they don’t even want to hear from you. That is unless you have donated. Then you count more than a constituent.
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He has a Twitter account: @MittRomney
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He also has a Facebook account.
Here are his office locations, including phone and fax numbers:
https://www.romney.senate.gov/office-locations
There are many ways to skin a cat.
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Maybe I misunderstand you. Do you WANT them to certify the electors without challenge?
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Thanks for the link. I will contact Romney’s office even though he will never get my input. As for Twitter and Facebook, I have accounts but I don’t use social media.
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Well, I am glad to finally see something in writing.
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What could go wrong if they officially look at the evidence? The left has no evidence, It’s all fraud.
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If the media reported the fraud with same degree they hyped Russia, Russia, Russia and the shampeachment there were be a lot more than 39% of Americans believing the election was rigged
/ that’s if you can trust Reuters/Ipsos polling – which I certainly don’t.
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Couldn’t care less how this gets done, be it Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, or your second cousin thrice removed.
The important thing is to have the proof actually heard, which to date has not been.
If someone, anyone, is able to get the proof in front of the American people, a whole bunch more will be convinced this election was rigged.
Interestingly, the Progressive caucus is also split on this. Part of the Progressives see this for what it is – fraud and election rigging. The rest are playing politics, which makes them Democrats.
One must give Pres Trump credit – life is never dull in Trump World.
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