Sen. Josh Hawley
Joshua (Josh) David HawleyGOP at the crossroads after the siege of Capitol Trump ‘responsible?’ It’s easier said than done by the US Chamber of Commerce to stop supporting some lawmakers after the Capitol riots MORE (R-Mo.) Wrote an article on Wednesday defending his decision to oppose the results of the two-state Electoral College, as he faces resistance from critics who say he helped feed last week’s violent Capitol crowd.
Writing in the Southeast Missourian, Hawley sought to separate his objections from last week’s riot, noting the doubts among some voters in Missouri about the integrity of the presidential election.
“Let me say it again, as I said before: the lawless violence in Capitol last week was criminal. There can be no discussion about it. Those who were involved in this should be prosecuted and punished, “he wrote.” Lawless violence undermines the democratic process by which we resolve our disputes and threatens our democratic life. This applies to mobs of all political tendencies. The mob’s violence is always wrong. “
“But the democratic debate is not mob violence,” he continued. “In fact, it is how we avoid this violence.”
Hawley, considered by many to be a potential candidate in the 2024 presidential race, was the first to announce that he would object to the results of the Electoral College, which showed the president-elect Joe Biden
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He voiced his objections to the results in Arizona before the Capitol riot last week and the results in Pennsylvania after the crowd was cleared. He wrote on Wednesday that he opposed Pennsylvania’s results of the state’s decision to allow universal postal voting during the coronavirus pandemic, which he said violated the Keystone state constitution.
“Many, many citizens in Missouri have deep concerns about electoral integrity,” he wrote. “They want Congress to take steps to ensure that our elections at all levels are free, fair and secure. They have a right to be heard in Congress. And as their representative, it is my duty to speak on their behalf. I did last week. “
“Some wondered why I continued my objection after the Capitol violence. The reason is simple: I will not bow to a lawless crowd or allow criminals to stifle my voters’ legitimate concerns, ”he wrote.
Hawley’s defense of his controversial objections comes as he faces a barrage of attacks from Democrats and some Republicans who are considering introducing a censorship resolution and calling for the resignation of the Missouri legislature. It is also unclear whether or how the controversy could impact a potential 2024 offer for Hawley.
“There are people who really perpetuate the big lie, that Donald Trump won with an overwhelming victory and that everything was stolen from him,” Sen. Pat Toomey
Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyThe government used the Patriot Act to collect records of website visitors in 2019 The appeals court ruled that the mass collection of telephone data from the NSA is illegal. Dunford withdraws from consideration to chair the coronavirus supervisory panel MORE (R-Pa.) He said days after the riots. “This is not true and we know that it is not true.
“So there is [is] combination of dishonesty like the propagation of the idea that Wednesday’s proceedings could somehow result in a different outcome and therefore it was reasonable to try to pressure lawmakers to do so. That would never happen, ”he added, referring to last Wednesday’s process to certify the results of the Electoral College that were interrupted by the riot.
“The violent crowd that attacked the Capitol was made up of people who do not accept democracy and want to take this country by force,” Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Democratic Senate number 3, said in a statement on last week. “Any senator who stands up and supports the power of force over the power of democracy has violated his oath. Senators Hawley and [Ted] Cruz (R-Texas) must resign. “