Democrats lined up to rebuke Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and his newly-announced coalition of GOP senators that plan to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The group is calling for a "10-day audit" of the results after "unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities."
“Voter fraud has posed a persistent challenge in our elections, although its breadth and scope are disputed. By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes," the coalition said in a statement.
According to Democrats, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated his position multiple times on Saturday:
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be President and Vice President of the United States in 18 days.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 2, 2021
In response to Ted Cruz's letter:
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 2, 2021
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be President and Vice President of the United States in 18 days.
Failed presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar said Republicans need to "get a grip" because the election results have been "certified."
What Klobuchar fails to mention, however, is that once the states certify their election results it then goes to Congress. Congress then decides whether or not to certify the results. In order for the results to be challenged, one congressman and one senator must step forward. So far we have 13 senators – including Cruz's coalition plus Sen. Josh Hawley – and roughly 140 members in the House of Representatives. That threshold will be met.
With all due respect to my Republican colleagues in the Senate who are doing this: can you please get a grip? Election officials across the country, including Republican Governors, have certified these results. This is embarrassing. https://t.co/J4GY3TbIZX
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 2, 2021
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated on January 20th and no publicity stunt will change that.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 2, 2021
Of course, Richard Blumenthal slammed the move, calling it a "pathetic, opportunistic stunt" that is "unconscionable."
This pathetic, opportunistic stunt is an attack on our democracy. It’s un-American & unconscionable. Votes have been counted, recounted, certified, & all challenges totally discredited. Time to govern & get things done. https://t.co/PVvK0A1n01
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) January 2, 2021
As a pandemic & economic crisis ravage our nation, anti-democratic Members of Congress seek to overthrow a lawful election. Have they no sense of decency? Or shame? Their legacy will be a vile & vitriolic self-serving stunt.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) January 2, 2021
Twice failed presidential candidate Bernie Sanders vowed to keep Republicans from being successful at "undermin[ing] American democracy."
It is a sad and tragic day for our country that 140 members of the House of Representatives, 13 senators and a defeated president are attempting to undermine American democracy and our Constitution.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 2, 2021
They will not succeed.
Interestingly enough, Wisconsin's own Tammy Baldwin chimed in, saying the Badger State engaged in a "fair election." It is like she magically forgot that Wisconsin repeatedly changed its absentee voting requirements and deadlines.
False and dishonest allegations about the integrity of the Wisconsin vote in a fair election Trump simply lost are attacks on the will of the people and our Democracy. They will fail just as Trump did because conspiracy theories don't decide elections, the voters do.
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) January 2, 2021
But the dumbest tweet in the saga goes to Connecticut's Chris Murphy. According to the senator, there's no election fraud commission.
He must have missed Cruz's memo. Cruz never said a commission already existed. He said his colleagues should establish one. But that is what happens when politicians fail to actually read what they are upset about.
Part of the grift is that if the electoral count isn’t certified, there is no “election fraud commission”, as Cruz et say they want. The Constitution requires the choice of President gets taken away from the voters and goes the Congress, one vote per state.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 3, 2021
Of course, members of the House had to throw in their two cents. Progressive darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the GOP senators' actions as an "incredibly dangerous precedent."
These Senators are engaged in a selfish attempt to shred our Constitution and dismantle our democracy. In doing so, they are also baselessly challenging the same ballots sending them to Congress.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2021
It is pathetic, and yet the precedent they are setting is incredibly dangerous. https://t.co/idPr8r0gHF
Another member of the Squad, Rashida Tlaib, named a handful of battleground states that have been certified.
"It's over," the congresswoman concluded.
The states of AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA, & WI, all conducted publicly accessible post-election audits that verified the November election. The election in each of these states have been certified. It's over. https://t.co/PgpyXFxUNI
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 2, 2021
What is amazing is that Eric Swalwell made a list of so-called "enemies of democracy," which included the list of Republican senators who joined Cruz. Pretty rich considering Swalwell was caught sleeping with a Chinese spy.
Name & shame these enemies of democracy:
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) January 2, 2021
Ted Cruz (TX)
Ron Johnson (WI)
James Lankford (OK)
Steve Daines (MT)
John Kennedy (LA)
Marsha Blackburn (TN)
Mike Braun (IN)
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
Roger Marshall (KS)
Bill Hagerty (TN)
Tommy Tuberville (AL) https://t.co/5QNFpHGr7X
At the end of the day, each individual senator and congressman needs to represent their constituents. If a majority of their constituents feel the election was rigged and voting irregularities were not thoroughly investigated, then they owe it to the people they represent to speak out. Sitting there, acting spineless is not what some Americans want from their representatives.
Calling into question things that do not pass the smell test does not "derail democracy." If anything, it protects our republic and the sacred act of voting.
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