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U.S. NEWS Monday 4 January 2021
GOP plans to upend Biden win for Trump rips party apart

By LISA MASCARO and Presidential election are not plan to join the effort. The group formed with ate to use the authority
MARY CLARE JALONICK contrary to the clearly ex- "I don't think either of the Cruz, which presented no they have under the law to
Associated Press pressed will of the Ameri- two efforts has any chance new evidence of election raise objections," Pence's
WASHINGTON (AP) — The can people and only serve for success," said Missouri's problems, includes Sens. chief of staff, Marc Short,
extraordinary effort to said in a statement Satur-
overturn the presidential day.
election is ripping the Re- Senate Majority Lead-
publican Party apart as er Mitch McConnell has
GOP lawmakers orches- warned Republicans off
trating the challenges to such challenges but said lit-
Joe Biden's victory faced tle when asked about it as
intense blowback Sunday at the Capitol as the Sen-
from others in the party ate opened Sunday.
warning they are under- "We'll be dealing with all of
mining Americans' faith in that on Wednesday," he
democracy. said.
President Donald Trump Congress have been
has enlisted support from loathe to interfere in the
a dozen Republican sena- state-run election systems,
tors and up to 100 House a longstanding protocol.
Republicans to challenge States choose their own
the Electoral College vote election officials and draft
when Congress convenes their election laws. During
in a joint session to confirm A coalition of senators and senators-elect have pledged to reject the results. the coronavirus pandem-
President-elect Joe Biden's Associated Press ic many states adapted
306-232 win. by allowing mail voting to
With Biden set to be inau- ease health risks of voting
gurated Jan. 20, the outgo- to undermine Americans' other senator, Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, in person. Those changes
ing president is intensifying confidence in the already Roy Blunt. James Lankford of Oklaho- and others are now being
efforts to prevent the tra- determined election re- House Speaker Nancy Pe- ma, Steve Daines of Mon- challenged by Trump and
ditional transfer of power. sults," the senators wrote. losi said in a letter to col- tana, John Kennedy of Lou- his allies.
Trump can be heard in an Republican Gov. Larry Ho- leagues that while there isiana, Marsha Blackburn of Trump, the first president
audio recording pressuring gan of Maryland said, "The is "no doubt as to the out- Tennessee and Mike Braun to lose a reelection bid in
Georgia's election officials scheme by members of come of the Biden-Harris of Indiana. Also part of the almost 30 years, has attrib-
to "find" enough votes to Congress to reject the cer- presidency, our further suc- effort are some of the new uted his defeat to wide-
flip Biden's win to him. Allies tification of the presidential cess is to convince more senators: Cynthia Lummis spread voter fraud, despite
are pressuring Vice Presi- election makes a mockery of the American people to of Wyoming, Roger Mar- the consensus of nonparti-
dent Mike Pence to ensure of our system and who we trust in our democratic sys- shall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty san election officials and
Trump's victory in presiding are as Americans." tem." of Tennessee and Tommy even Trump's attorney gen-
over the congressional ses- The unusual challenge to Hawley defended his ac- Tuberville of Alabama. eral that there was none.
sion. Trump is whipping up the presidential election, tions in a lengthy email to The convening of the joint Of the roughly 50 lawsuits
crowds for a rally in Wash- on a scale unseen since colleagues, explaining that session to count the Elec- the president and his al-
ington. the aftermath of the Civil his Missouri constituents toral College votes has lies have filed challeng-
But without evidence of War, clouded the opening have been "loud and clear" faced objections before. In ing election results, nearly
voter fraud or other prob- of the new Congress and is with their belief that Biden's 2017, several House Demo- all have been dismissed
lems, leading Republicans set to consume its first days. defeat of Trump was unfair. crats challenged Trump's or dropped. He's also lost
across the nation are join- The House and Senate will "It is my responsibility as a win but Biden, who presid- twice at the U.S. Supreme
ing Democrats in saying meet Wednesday in a joint senator to raise their con- ed at the time as the vice Court.
there is no reason for the session to accept the Elec- cerns," Hawley wrote late president, swiftly dismissed The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
federal government to in- toral College vote, a typi- Saturday. them to assert Trump's vic- Appeals rejected the latest
tervene in what state of- cally routine process that's Hawley plans to object to tory. Rarely have the pro- challenge from Rep. Louie
ficials have certified were now expected to be a pro- the state tally from Penn- tests approached this level Gohmert, R-Texas, and a
free and fair elections. longed fight. sylvania. But that state's of intensity. group of Arizona electors,
Attorney General William Biden's transition spokes- Republican senator, Pat The moment is a defining who filed suit to try to force
Barr, who was appointed man, Mike Gwin, dismissed Toomey, criticized the at- one for the Republican Pence to step outside mere
by Trump, said before leav- the effort as a "stunt" that tack on Pennsylvania's Party in a post-Trump era. ceremony and shape the
ing office that there was won't change the fact that election system and said Both Hawley and Cruz are outcome of the vote. The
no evidence of fraud that Biden will be sworn in Jan. the results that named potential 2024 presidential appellate court sided with
would change the election 20. Biden the winner are valid. contenders, cementing the federal judge, a Trump
outcome. The effort being led by Sen. Cruz's coalition of 11 Re- their alignment with Trump's appointee, who dismissed
"The 2020 election is over," Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and publican senators vows to base of supporters. Others the suit.q
said a statement Sunday Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was reject the Electoral Col- are trying to forge a differ-
from a bipartisan group of hit with swift criticism. lege tallies unless Congress ent path for the GOP.
10 senators, including Re- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- launches a commission to Pence will be carefully
publicans Susan Collins of S.C., said Sunday his col- immediately conduct an watched as he presides
Maine, Lisa Murkowski of leagues will have an op- audit of the election results. over what is expected to
Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Loui- portunity to make their They are zeroing in on the be a prolonged showdown,
siana and Mitt Romney of case, but they must pro- states where Trump has depending on how many
Utah. duce evidence and facts. raised unfounded claims of challenges are mounted.
"At this point, further at- "They have a high bar to voter fraud. Congress is un- The vice president "wel-
tempts to cast doubt on clear," he said. likely to agree to their de- comes the efforts of mem-
the legitimacy of the 2020 Others simply said they do mand. bers of the House and Sen-