Eleven senate Republicans led by Texas senator Ted Cruz announced on Saturday that they will object to the certification of Electoral College votes during the joint session of Congress next Wednesday.
Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Ron Johnson (Wis.), James Lankford (Okla.), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Kennedy (La.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Mike Braun (Ind.) and Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Roger Marshall (Kan.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.) said in a joint statement that they will 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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The 11 senators will join Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley who announced earlier this week that he will not certify Biden’s victory because some states did not follow their own election laws and that Big Tech interfered on behalf of Biden.
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One day after Hawley’s statement fellow Republican senator from Nebraska Ben Sasse ripped the members of his own party who planned to engage in the “dangerous ploy” of opposing the certification of results.
“Let’s be clear what is happening here: We have a bunch of ambitious politicians who think there’s a quick way to tap into the president’s populist base without doing any real, long-term damage,” Sasse wrote. “But they’re wrong – and this issue is bigger than anyone’s personal ambitions. Adults don’t point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government,” he added.
The Republican establishment was reportedly angry at Hawley because they believe that the senator knows better, unlike their colleagues in the House especially Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert who one official called a “moron”.
Both Hawley and Cruz are considered to be 2024 hopefuls.
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This challenge will not change the outcome of the election, Biden will become president. But, it places a number of 2022 Republican senators up for re-election in a tight spot. They can agree with Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud, all of which have been thrown out in court or go against him and face the possibility of a nasty primary fight.
