Sen. Romney Denounces GOP Senators’ Plan To Contest Election Results

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Senator Mitt Romney has denounced an effort from several Republican senators to oppose certification of the presidential election results, calling the plan “an egregious ploy.”

“The egregious ploy to reject electors may enhance the political ambition of some, but dangerously threatens our democratic republic,” Romney said. “The congressional power to reject electors is reserved for the most extreme and unusual circumstances. These are far from it. More Americans participated in this election than ever before, and they made their choice. President Trump’s lawyers made their case before scores of courts; in every instance, they failed. The Justice Department found no evidence of irregularity sufficient to overturn the election. The Presidential Voter Fraud Commission disbanded without finding such evidence.”

Senator Ted Cruz and 10 other Republican senators pledged to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election when Congress meets in a joint session on Jan. 6 to count the Electoral College votes and certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

“My fellow Senator Ted Cruz and the cosigners of his statement argue that rejection of electors or an election audit directed by Congress would restore trust in the election,” Romney said. “Nonsense. This argument ignores the widely perceived reality that Congress is an overwhelmingly partisan body; the American people wisely place greater trust in the federal courts where judges serve for life. Members of Congress who would substitute their own partisan judgment for that of the courts do not enhance public trust, they imperil it.

“Were Congress to actually reject state electors, partisans would inevitably demand the same any time their candidate had lost. Congress, not voters in the respective states, would choose our presidents.

“Adding to this ill-conceived endeavor by some in Congress is the president’s call for his supporters to come to the (U.S.) Capitol on the day when this matter is to be debated and decided. This has the predictable potential to lead to disruption, and worse.

“I could never have imagined seeing these things in the greatest democracy in the world. Has ambition so eclipsed principle?”

Counting The Electoral College Votes

Congress will meet at 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 to count the votes in a joint session.

“The sitting vice president presides over the meeting and opens the votes from each state in alphabetical order,” House officials said. “He passes the votes to four tellers — two from the House and two from the Senate — who announce the results. House tellers include one Representative from each party and are appointed by the Speaker. At the end of the count, the vice president then announces the name of the next president.”

During the session, members of Congress can object to any single electoral vote or to a state’s results as a whole.

Any objection that is signed by at least one representative and one senator will force Congress to suspend the joint session and meet as separate bodies to consider the objection.

Both houses must vote separately to agree to the objection by simple majority. If either chamber opposes the objection, the votes are counted.

“Objections to the Electoral College votes were recorded in 1969 and 2005,” House officials said. “In both cases, the House and Senate rejected the objections and the votes in question were counted.”