Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) Said in a statement Wednesday that he will object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, claiming that some states have and that Big Tech intervened on Biden’s behalf.
Why it matters: Hawley is the first senator to say he will object to the certification and join a group of House Republicans. Biden will still be declared the winner, but the move will force Senate Republicans to determine whether they agree with Trump’s baseless allegations – many of which have been thrown out in court – that there was widespread electoral fraud.
What he says:
After the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes to voice concerns about the integrity of the election. They were praised by Democratic leadership and the media when they did. And they had the right to do that. But now those of us who are concerned about the integrity of this election have the right to do the same.
I cannot vote to certify the results of the electoral college on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, especially Pennsylvania, have not complied with their own electoral laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort by mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to get involved in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and take steps to ensure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has not taken any action so far.
For these reasons, I will follow the same practice that Democratic Congressmen have followed in recent years and object during the certification process on January 6 to address these critical issues.
Senator Josh Hawley