President Donald Trump got a boost from Republicans in Congress when Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced that he will object to the certification of the Electoral College vote count.
But, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seemed unfazed by the news of Hawley’s plan.
Asked about the Missouri senator’s statement, Pelosi said, “I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today, that Joe Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of the Electoral College as the 46th president of the United States.”
.@SpeakerPelosi on Senator Hawley's plan to object to Electoral College Certification: "I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today, that Joe Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of the Electoral College as the 46th president of the United States." pic.twitter.com/prFwzzoVB9
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 30, 2020
Hawley announced his plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College vote in a tweet on Wednesday morning. In that statement, he noted that Democrat lawmakers previously objected to vote counts in 2004 and 2016.
The senator accused Pennsylvania of “fail[ing] to follow their state election laws.”
Hawley’s accusation echoes an argument that Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to push through the courts. Republican efforts to throw out Pennsylvania’s votes were rejected by the state’s Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court dismissed the suit in a one-sentence order.
Millions of voters concerned about election integrity deserve to be heard. I will object on January 6 on their behalf pic.twitter.com/kTaaPPJGHE
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 30, 2020
While Hawley’s objection will not change the outcome of the election, it will force a vote on the count, which Republican leadership had hoped to avoid.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned his members in a mid-December phone call that it would be politically unwise to object as it would force Republicans to cast a “terrible vote,” per a Politico report.
McConnell’s stance apparently infuriated President Donald Trump, who tweeted, “[Mitch McConnell] and Republican Senators have to get tougher, or you won’t have a Republican Party anymore.”
A number of Republican Senators, including Mitch McConnell have accepted Joe Biden as the President-elect. Following the Electoral College vote on December 14th, McConnell said on the floor of the Senate, “The Electoral College has spoken. So, today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.”
