January 3rd 11 Republican senators, including Congressman Cruz representing Texas, issued a joint statement saying that they would vote against the voting results of the Congressional Accredited Electoral College on the 6th.
Cruz et al. requested a 10-day audit of electoral votes in “Battlefield States”, but did not specify which states would specifically oppose the results.
However, later on the 2nd, Republican congressional senators Toomey and Mukowski said they would oppose the efforts of their Republican colleagues to challenge the election results.
In a statement, Mukowski reiterated that “the courts and state legislatures have strictly adhered to their responsibility to hear legal charges and found no reason to overturn the result. I urge my colleagues in both parties to recognize this and join me in maintaining confidence in the electoral college and the election together.”
The analysis points out that the vote against Cruz and others may not change the outcome of Biden’s victory, and if the opposition is supported by one representative and one senator, the two houses will debate separately.
The Senate and the House of Representatives will then vote on whether to support the opposition, which will require a majority vote in both houses to succeed.
On the other hand, on the evening of the 1st, a federal judge refused to hear a lawsuit filed by Republicans, which demanded that Vice President Pence has the right to decide which electors can be officially counted in the 6th congressional meeting.
Congressman Gomert, who represents Texas, and several Republican members of Arizona filed the lawsuit to try to force Pence to overturn Biden’s victory when Congress counts the votes of the electoral college.
Judge Kenold of the Eastern District Court of Texas said on the 1st that Gomert and others lacked a basis for prosecution.
Later that day, Gomert and others filed notices of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Pence had previously asked Kenod to dismiss the case, believing that Gomert’s legal issues should be directly referred to the House and Senate.
Pence’s filing does not say whether he will accept the possibility of interfering with the Electoral College’s count, but there is no public indication that he will do so at present.
Meanwhile, supporters of US President Trump intend to organize a march in the capital on the day of congressional certification of the election results. In response, Trump himself posted on social media: “See you in Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021.”
The organizer’s website also said: “Democrats are working on plans to deprive Republicans of power and votes.
Only the American people can stop all this. Together with President Trump, we will take all necessary measures to safeguard the inviolability of elections in the interest of the country.”
