At least 140 Republicans in Congress are expected to support President Trump’s proposal to overturn the results of the Electoral College next week.
The Jan. 6 vote is likely to fail and divide Republicans as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20.
Biden won Electoral College 306-232, but Trump argues that the fraud brought down the results in undecided states. The courts rejected these claims.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) Said on Wednesday that he would join a group of House Republicans who oppose the results, ensuring that there is a vote on the acceptance of the Electoral College result.
At least 140 House Republicans will support the effort, two lawmakers told CNN. There will be 211 Republicans in the House and at least 50 Republicans in the Senate in office when the vote takes place. There are two second rounds of the Georgia Senate on January 5.
A member of the House and Senate must oppose the casting of real votes to accept the result.
But, once objections are raised, the House and Senate vote separately. Both chambers must accept an objection. Since Democrats will control the House, the effort is unlikely to prevail in the lower house.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Strongly discouraged colleagues from opposing it, saying it would be a “terrible” vote for Republicans because some would oppose Trump. Senate majority leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters that a challenge “would fall like a targeted dog”.
Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) Has indicated that he will not support an objection. His status is one of a handful that narrowly failed for Biden.
Some Republicans are trying to split the gap as the vote approaches. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) tweeted Thursday, “I will vote to reject voters in a state if the majority of that state’s legislature formally indicates that we must reject voters in that state.”
It is not clear whether Hawley will meet other opponents of the Senate. Incoming Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) Said earlier that he was considering an objection.
In a statement this week, Hawley noted that Democrats were opposed to the results of the 2004 and 2016 elections, although both efforts have failed.
“I cannot vote to certify the results of the polling station on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, have not followed their own state election laws,” said Hawley.
“And I can’t vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented efforts of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress must investigate allegations of electoral fraud and take steps to ensure the integrity of our elections. ”