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u.s. news Diahuebs 7 Januari 2021

Republicans raise first objection in Congress to Biden win

(AP) — Republican law- he will join House Republi-
makers mounted their cans in objecting to that state,
first official challenge to even as he acknowledged the
Joe Biden’s presidential effort will not have the votes
election win Wednesday, to succeed.
objecting to state results “Extraordinarily uphill," he
from Arizona as they took said late Tuesday on Fox
up Donald Trump’s re- News.
lentless effort to overturn Hawley has said he will ob-
the election results in an ject to the election results
extraordinary joint ses- from Pennsylvania, almost
sion of Congress. ensuring a second two-hour
Outside, demonstrators tried debate despite resistance
to shove their way into the from the state's Republican
Capitol, scuffling with po- senator, Pat Toomey, who
lice, after a fiery rally near said the tally of Biden's win is
the White House in which accurate.
Trump prodded his support- Sen. Kelly Loeffler may chal-
ers to march to Capitol Hill. lenge the results in her state
In the House chamber, of Georgia. She was defeated
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, in Georgia's runoff to Demo-
flanked by Sen. Ted Cruz of crat Raphael Warnock, but
Texas, rose to object to the can remain a senator until he
typically routine acceptance is sworn into office.
of electors. results aloud. But he was un- gress, required by law, con- ports those Republican law- The other Senate runoff race
The objection now forces der growing pressure from vened before a watchful, makers mounting challenges between Republican David
two hours of debate in the Trump to overturn the will restless nation — months to the 2020 outcome. Perdue and Democrat Jon
House and Senate, sending of the voters and tip the re- after the election, two weeks It's not the first time law- Ossoff remained too early to
lawmakers away to separate sults in the president’s favor, before the inauguration’s tra- makers have challenged re- call Wednesday, though Os-
deliberations. despite having no legal power ditional peaceful transfer of sults. Democrats did in 2017 soff declared he won. Per-
Trump's allies are acting out to affect the outcome. power and against the back- and 2005. But the intensity due, who was seeking reelec-
the pleas of supporters at “Do it Mike, this is a time drop of a surging COVID-19 of Trump's challenge is like tion, is ineligible to vote in
his huge rally up Pennsylva- for extreme courage!” Trump pandemic. nothing in modern times, the Senate because his term
nia Avenue near the White tweeted Wednesday. Lawmakers were told by and an outpouring of current expired with the start of the
House to “fight for Trump." But Pence, in a statement Capitol officials to arrive ear- and elected GOP officials new Congress Sunday.
But it's a fight that's tearing shortly before presiding, de- ly, due to safety precautions warn the showdown is sow- The group led by Cruz is
the Republican Party apart. fied Trump, saying he could with protesters in Washing- ing distrust in government vowing to object unless Con-
The last-gasp effort is all but not claim “unilateral author- ton. Hundreds of Trump and eroding Americans' faith gress agrees to form a com-
certain to fail, defeated by ity" to reject the electoral supporters filled the Capi- in democracy. mission to investigate the
bipartisan majorities in Con- votes that make Biden presi- tol plaza area and sidewalks, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, election, but that seems un-
gress prepared to accept the dent. Despite Trump’s re- many bearing enormous told reporters on Capitol Hill likely. Those with Cruz are
November results. Biden, peated claims of voter fraud, flags and few wearing masks. that Trump’s election chal- Sens. Ron Johnson of Wis-
who won the Electoral Col- election officials and his own Visitors, who typically fill the lenge has “disgraced the of- consin, James Lankford of
lege 306-232, is to be inaugu- former attorney general have galleries to watch landmark fice of the presidency." Oklahoma, Steve Daines of
rated Jan. 20. said there were no problems proceedings, will not be al- “We'll proceed as the Con- Montana, John Kennedy of
Still, Trump vowed to he on a scale that would change lowed under COVID-19 re- stitution demands and tell Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn
would “never concede” and the outcome. All the states strictions. our supporters the truth -- of Tennessee, Mike Braun of
urged the massive crowd to have certified their results as The session also comes as whether or not they want to Indiana, Cynthia Lummis of
march to the Capitol where fair and accurate, by Republi- overnight results from Geor- hear it,” Romney said. Wyoming, Roger Marshall of
hundreds had already gath- can and Democratic officials gia's runoff elections put Still, more than a dozen Re- Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Ten-
ered under tight security. alike. Democrats within reach of a publican senators led by Josh nessee and Tommy Tuber-
“We will never give up,” Arizona was the first of sev- Senate majority. Hawley of Missouri and Ted ville of Alabama.
Trump told the noontime eral states facing objections The current majority lead- Cruz of Texas, along with as Many of the Republicans
rally. from the Republicans as er, Mitch McConnell, who many as 100 House Repub- challenging the results said
Vice President Mike Pence Congress took an alphabeti- tried to warn his Republican licans, are pressing ahead to they are trying to give voice
was most closely watched as cal reading of the election Party off this challenge, was raise objections to individual to voters back home who
he stepped onto the dais to results. expected to deliver early re- states' reports of Biden's wins. don't trust the outcome of
preside over the joint session Biden won Arizona by more marks. Democratic House Under the rules of the joint the election and want to see
in the House chamber. than 10,000 votes, and eight Speaker Nancy Pelosi called session, any objection to a the lawmakers fighting for
Pence has a largely ceremo- lawsuits challenging the re- it a day of “enormous historic state’s electoral tally needs to Trump.
nial role, opening the sealed sults have failed. The state’s significance,” about “guaran- be submitted in writing by Hawley defended his role
envelopes from the states Supreme Court on Wednes- teeing trust in our democrat- at least one member of the saying his constituents have
after they are carried in ma- day upheld the dismissal of ic system." House and one of the Senate been “loud and clear” about
hogany boxes used for the an election challenge. With the Senate results from to be considered. Each objec- their distrust of the elec-
occasion, and reading the The joint session of Con- Georgia streaming in and tion will force two hours of tion. “It is my responsibil-
Democrats within reach of deliberations in the House ity as a senator to raise their
controlling the chamber, and Senate, ensuring a long concerns," he wrote to col-
Trump amplified his pleas to day. leagues.
stay in office as a veto check House Republican lawmak- As criticism mounted, Cruz
on the rival party. At the rally ers are signing on to objec- insisted his aim was “not to
he said he had just talked to tions to the electoral votes in set aside the election” but to
Pence and criticized Repub- six states — Arizona, Georgia, investigate the claims of vot-
licans who are not willing to Nevada, Michigan, Pennsyl- ing problems. He has pro-
fight for him as “weak.” vania and Wisconsin. duced no new evidence.
While other vice presidents, Arizona will likely be the first Both Hawley and Cruz are
including Al Gore and Rich- to be disputed as the state tal- potential 2024 presiden-
ard Nixon, also presided over lies are announced in alpha- tial contenders, vying for
their own defeats, Pence sup- betical order. Cruz has said Trump's base of supporters.