Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Along with Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday objected to the Arizona election results and began a two-hour debate in both chambers over a claim that the results “were not regular. gave. “
Gosar claimed on Twitter that 200,000 votes were changed in the state, which contributed to Biden winning. There is no evidence of this.
Arizona provinces have completed audits of the vast majority of the ballots in the state. The audits found a handful of anomalies or no anomalies. Several lawsuits in the state allege fraud and have been dismissed or withdrawn.
Photos: Trump supporters come to Washington to protest election
See more photos of the protest in Washington.
Police evacuate area near Capitol as pro-Trump protesters storm barricades
U.S. Capitol police said they were evacuating areas near the Capitol while pro-Trump protesters were trying to storm barricades erected outside the perimeter of the complex and law enforcement officers were seen trying to push back.
The Library of Congress, just across the street from the Capitol’s main building, was evacuated and people were told to stay calm and move safely to the exits.
Hundreds of protesters, some with large Trump flags, were seen on the Eastern Front of the Capitol trying to move past security.
IDP registers first objection after the joint session of Congress
The joint session of Congress began at 1:00 p.m. ET when Pence and lawmakers read the number of votes cast for Biden and Trump from each state.
Both members of the House and Senate began in the House with Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, at the top of the scene.
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Along with 60 of his Republican colleagues, quickly objected to the Arizona state voting votes for Biden. At least Senator Ted Cruz, who stood and applauded, joined him when he signed the first objection against the voters in Arizona.
The joint sitting then retired. There will now be debates for up to two hours in both the House and the Senate, as both a member and a senator have filed a written objection.
Pence says he will not distort the 2020 election
Vice President Mike Pence said in a letter released to Congress just before the election, which gave Joe Biden the presidency, that he would not try to overthrow the 2020 presidential election demanded by President Donald Trump not.
“I do not believe that the founders of our country intended to appoint the Vice President with unilateral authority to decide which voters to count during the joint session of Congress, and no Vice President in American history has ever confirmed such authority. not, “he said. written in a three-page letter issued by his office.
“Instead, vice presidents who chair the joint sittings follow the Electoral Code uniformly, and conduct the proceedings in an orderly manner, even where the score leads to a defeat of their party or their own candidacy,” he adds.
Sens.Tillis, Young to Defeat GOP Colleagues Against Election Votes
GOP Sens. Thom Tillis and Todd Young said on Wednesday that they oppose the planned attempt by members of their party to object to the counting of state election votes by Congress on Wednesday.
“The drafters of our Constitution have made it clear that the power to certify elections is reserved for the states, not Congress. Refusing to certify results of the state’s election results has no viable path to success, and the “The most important thing is that it gives legitimacy to the left-wing policy goals. To completely federalize the election and eliminate the Electoral College,” Tillis, who won re-election in November after a close race in North Carolina, said in a statement. “Congress should not exceed its constitutional authority by overthrowing the results of states and the will of American voters, especially absent legal requests from states that Congress should intervene.”
Both he and Young of Indiana warned that the GOP objections would set a dangerous precedent.
“The fact that Congress is displacing the will of certified voters for a state for its own is unconstitutional and will set a dangerous precedent that harms the integrity of and future respect for the Electoral College. This is not an empty warning. , “Young said in a statement.
Manchin: ‘I am the most dual member of Congress’
Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.V., said he has no interest in joining party and becoming a Republican.
“I am the most dual member of Congress,” Manchin told NBC News in the Capitol on Wednesday as he stepped up after his second coronavirus injection. “I remain the most independent, dual member of Congress,” he said, adding, “I am a Democrat.”
Manchin, who sometimes sided with Republicans in the Senate, could become one of the most powerful members of the House if power is split 50-50 if Jon Ossoff gains the upper hand in the Georgia Senate race he currently leads.