UPDATE: Speaker Pelosi has agreed to seat the Republican victor.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says in a news conference she will seat Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks Sunday, despite on ongoing challenge from Democratic opponent Rita Hart. This race was decided by just six votes in IA-02. https://t.co/1kalPlYe1O
— Brianne Pfannenstiel (@brianneDMR) December 30, 2020
ORIGINAL POST
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are cautioning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) against any interference in the Iowa 2nd Congressional District election. Iowa certified the winner to be Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks over Democrat Rita Hart. The race was a nail biter. The final tally put Miller-Meeks on top by a vote of 196,964 to 196,958. Yes, that's only six votes. And so Hart filed a challenge with the House.
But Republican Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) argued that there's no reason why the tiny margin of victory should prevent Speaker Pelosi from seating Miller-Meeks in her rightful place in Congress next week.
“Refusing to seat Rep.-elect Miller-Meeks on January 3rd would be an unprecedented power grab by Speaker Pelosi," Davis said.
“The Speaker's narrow margin, which could be as few as seven, should not be a factor when considering whether or not to seat a member-elect," Davis added."Rep.-elect Miller-Meeks has been certified the winner by the State of Iowa.”
Davis went on to say that Pelosi and Hart are at risk of setting a "dangerous precedent."
House Admin Cmte Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL): "Rita Hart had an opportunity to challenge each of these claims using Iowa’s impartial judicial proceedings, but instead, she has chosen to sidestep Iowa law and ask Speaker Pelosi to decide this election for Iowa voters."
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) December 22, 2020
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Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley (R) and Joni Ernst (R) sent Pelosi a similar message:
"By going to Nancy Pelosi to fix her election loss, Rita Hart is seeking a partisan political solution to a nonpartisan democratic process," they said. "This is a direct attack on Iowa’s elections system, to democracy in Iowa and on Iowans themselves."
Even Democrat Rep. Dan Kildee (MI) suggested that they should let the state decide the winner.
"For most of us, we're wired to accept the results that are certified by state and county, canvassers, and it's very difficult for us to reach into somebody else's tabulations and decide for ourselves that we want to change the outcome unless there is compelling, overwhelming evidence to support the case, and I haven't looked at that," Kildee told the Washington Examiner. "I haven't seen it."
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