US Republican Senator: "Will Object Before Congress Certifies Presidential Election Results"

Josh Hawley, U.S. Senator
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept his defeat in the presidential election, a Republican senator has become the first to announce plans to object to the Electoral College vote results.

According to the Washington Post (WP) and others on the 30th (local time), Republican Senator Josh Hawley (Missouri) stated in a press release that he will object during the joint session of Congress on January 6th next month, when the Electoral College vote will be certified. He said, "I cannot vote to certify the Electoral College results on January 6th without raising the fact that some states, especially Pennsylvania, did not follow their state election laws."

Senator Hawley also emphasized, "I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented efforts by big corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to intervene in this election in support of Joe Biden," adding, "Congress must investigate allegations of voter fraud and take measures to ensure the integrity of the election."

Congress will hold a joint session of the House and Senate on January 6th next year to certify the Electoral College vote results and announce the winner. During this session, objections to the Electoral College vote can be raised. If at least one member from both the House and Senate objects to the Electoral College vote from a particular state, each chamber will debate and then vote; if both chambers conclude there is a problem, the Electoral College votes from that state will be excluded from the count.

WP reported that Hawley’s announcement "will attract the attention of Trump supporters and some Republicans," but other Republicans believe this attempt will fail and that appearing to go against the will of the voters would be politically harmful. WP also reported that, besides Senator Hawley, some Republican House members such as Mo Brooks (Alabama) have declared their intention to object to the results in battleground states.

Regarding this, CNN reported that Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged senators not to support the House members who have expressed their intention to object.