Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Mo Brooks are leading the charge to challenge the results of the Electoral College. Experts and colleagues doubt it will make an impact while others denigrate their efforts to suss out voter fraud as “civic vandalism.”
Summary
When Congress meets on January 6th to certify the results of the Electoral College, objections from both chambers will be heard, as Senator Ted Cruz has announced he has eleven of his colleagues on board with a challenge.
- Cruz is joining his House colleagues’ effort, spearheaded by Rep Mo Brooks, who met with the President last month to organize the protest within the lower chamber.
- Cruz’s efforts centers around appointing a commission to investigate the election and conduct an “emergency audit” of results from contested states, the authority of which at least one scholar disputes.
- The objections expected to be raised by Cruz, Brooks, and colleagues will cite “allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election.”
- After a lawsuit filed in federal court by Texas Representative Louie Gohmert that would allow Vice President Pence to select electors was thrown out, Vice President Mike Pence “welcomed” the plan by Cruz to challenge election results.
- A similar process was used by Democratic members of Congress in 2004 to “draw attention to the need for aggressive election reform.”
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is discouraging GOP colleagues from challenging the Electoral College certification, while Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney called the efforts “an egregious ploy.”
- A contributor to The Atlantic responded to the efforts of Senator Josh Hawley, who has also announced his intent to oppose certification of the election, by accusing him of “engaging in civic vandalism.”
- The New York Times characterized Cruz’s efforts as a “futile” attempt and “a groundswell among Republicans to defy the unambiguous results of the election and indulge President Trump’s attempts to remain in power with false claims of voting fraud.”
- Vox framed their reporting by repeatedly insisting allegations of voter fraud are unproven and lack evidence, and that the plea for a commission has no precedent, calling it “nonsense.”
- Fox News emphasized the creation of the investigative commission rather than the matter of the objection itself, while highlighting the hypocrisy of some Democratic lawmakers who agreed with an objection of election results in 2005.
- The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board called the election challenge “embarrassing” and a “kamikaze mission” that puts the Vice President in a difficult position over an 1887 law that “might be unconstitutional.”
- The Federalist noted in its reporting that Republican senators “acknowledge the scope of voter fraud is in dispute” but that they believe it still warrants congressional investigation.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
