Incoming Chief of Staff Joe Biden, incoming Chief of Staff Ron Klain, joked with Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler early Wednesday while voting was still going on in the run-up to Georgia as she announced her plan to object to the certification of Biden’s victory in the November presidential election.
A joint session of Congress to confirm the outcome of the Electoral College will take place later Wednesday, just a day after the highly anticipated run by US Senate Loeffler against Democrat Raphael Warnock and Senator David Perdue against Democrat Jon Ossoff has. The results in Georgia will determine which party controls the Senate in the new Congress.
“Spitballing here, but it could be that telling voters that you intend to ignore their verdict and overthrow their votes in the November election was NOT a good closing argument for @KLoeffler,” Klain said. tweeted before the races were presented.
Klain’s tweet comes after Fox News first reported that Loeffler, who faced Warnock during Tuesday’s election, would object to the certification of Biden’s victory in the results of Wednesday’s presidential election during a joint sitting of the Congress.
LOEFFLER FOR PROCESSING ELECTION CERTIFICATION IN AT LEAST ONE STATE
A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Loeffler intends to object to the results of the presidential election in Georgia.
“Elections are the foundation of our democracy and the American people deserve to have 100% confidence in our electoral systems and their outcomes. But now there are tens of thousands of millions of Americans’ concerns about the way the presidential election was held in November – and I share their concerns, “Loeffler told Fox News in a statement on Monday.
“The American people deserve a platform in Congress, which is allowed under the Constitution, to present election issues so that they can be addressed,” Loeffler continued. “Therefore, I will vote on January 6 to give President Trump and the American people the fair trial they deserve and to support the objection to the Electoral College certification process.”
Loeffler added that she had “already” enacted legislation to set up a commission to investigate election irregularities and recommend electoral integrity measures.
“We need to restore trust, confidence and integrity in our electoral system,” Loeffler said.
Warnock and Loeffler were the top 3 contestants in their November 3 special Senate election, which gave rise to Tuesday’s runoff game. Loeffler took office on January 6, 2020 after being appointed by the Government of Georgia, Brian Kemp, to fill the remainder of Johnny Isakson’s term of office after Isakson retired for health reasons.
More than a dozen other Senate Republicans have said they will also object to the Electoral College certification on Wednesday.
But Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican sense. John Thune, John Cornyn, Tim Scott, Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said they would vote to confirm Biden’s victory.
On the House side, more than 100 Republican members said they would object to the certification of voters from Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, President Trump said on Tuesday that he and Vice President Mike Pence “completely agree” that Pence “has the power to act” and block the certification of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Wednesday.
Trump further said that Pence has “several options under the US Constitution”.
TRUMP PUT PRESSURE ON PENSION BEFORE ELECTION IN CONGRESS
“He can certify the results or send them back to the states for change and certification,” Trump said. “He can also confirm the illegal and corrupt results and send them to the House of Representatives for the one vote for one state table.”
A Pence spokesman declined to comment.
Pence will preside over the joint sitting on Wednesday, but is expected to play a mostly ceremonial role.
The president maintained Tuesday morning that Pence had the power to reverse the election results.
“The vice president has the power to reject fraudulently elected voters,” the president tweeted Tuesday morning.
And on Monday night during an election night in Georgia for the two GOP senators taking part in the state’s twin US Senate run-off contests, Trump told the large crowd of supporters: ‘I hope Mike Pence gets through to us, I have to tell you . “
“I hope our great vice president – our great vice president – comes through for us. He’s a great guy. Of course, if he does not come through, I will not like him that much,” Trump stressed.
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But White House officials told Fox News on Tuesday that Pence “will follow the law” and say Pence will “take a diligent and careful approach to his work tomorrow.”
“He consulted extensively with staff. He has gone through the Voting Act several times,” an official said. “He read legal opinions, met with the Senate MP and consulted external experts on the subject.”
But officials added that “the vice president will follow the law. He will act faithfully with the law and the Constitution tomorrow.”