11 Senate Republicans say they will oppose Electoral College results Wednesday

Eleven Senate Republicans on Saturday announced that they will vote for objections to the Electoral College results Wednesday, when Congress convenes in a joint session to formally count the vote. 

GOP Sens. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzEthics complaint filed against Biggs, Cawthorn and Gosar over Capitol riot Hawley, Cruz see approval ratings dip in wake of Capitol riot: poll For Biden, a Senate trial could aid bipartisanship around COVID relief MORE (Texas), Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonGOP senators call for commission to investigate Capitol attack Wisconsin Democrats make ad buy calling on Johnson to resign Efforts to secure elections likely to gain ground in Democrat-controlled Congress MORE (Wis.), James LankfordJames Paul LankfordSenate panel unanimously advances Yellen nomination for Treasury The Hill's 12:30 Report: What to expect for inauguration GOP Sen. Lankford apologizes to Black constituents for opposing election results MORE (Okla.), Steve DainesSteven (Steve) David DainesOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden's Interior Department temporarily blocks new drilling on public lands | Group of GOP senators seeks to block Biden moves on Paris, Keystone | Judge grants preliminary approval for 0M Flint water crisis settlement Group of GOP senators seeks to block Biden moves on Paris, Keystone Biden recommits US to Paris climate accord MORE (Mont.), John KennedyJohn Neely KennedyMORE (La.), Marsha BlackburnMarsha BlackburnThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden takes office, calls for end to 'uncivil war' Senate confirms Biden's intel chief, giving him first Cabinet official Colbert asks Republicans 'have you had enough?' in live show after Capitol violence MORE (Tenn.) and Mike BraunMichael BraunBiden signals he's willing to delay Trump trial McConnell proposes postponing impeachment trial until February The Hill's Morning Report - Biden takes office, calls for end to 'uncivil war' MORE (Ind.) and Sens.-elect Cynthia LummisCynthia Marie LummisREAD: The Republicans who voted to challenge election results LIVE COVERAGE: Congress certifies Biden win after Pennsylvania, Arizona challenges fail Senate swears-in six new lawmakers as 117th Congress convenes MORE (Wyo.), Roger MarshallRoger W. MarshallOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden's Interior Department temporarily blocks new drilling on public lands | Group of GOP senators seeks to block Biden moves on Paris, Keystone | Judge grants preliminary approval for 0M Flint water crisis settlement Group of GOP senators seeks to block Biden moves on Paris, Keystone The Hill's Morning Report - Biden takes office, calls for end to 'uncivil war' MORE (Kan.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.) said in a joint statement that they will vote against accepting the election results until there is a 10-day audit. 

"Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states," they said. "Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission’s findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed.

"Accordingly, we intend to vote on Jan. 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not 'regularly given' and 'lawfully certified' ... unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed," they added. 

The senators didn't say in their joint statement if they plan to object to the results from specific states, how they would divvy up those objections or if they would just vote in support of challenges to the Electoral College results if they reach the Senate.

The group's announcement means that at least a dozen GOP senators, almost a quarter of the caucus, will challenge the election results Wednesday. GOP Sen. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyTrump DHS chief argues for swift confirmation of Biden pick amid Hawley hold Overnight Defense: Austin takes helm at Pentagon | COVID-19 briefing part of Day 1 agenda | Outrage over images of National Guard troops in parking garage Ethics complaint filed against Biggs, Cawthorn and Gosar over Capitol riot MORE (Mo.) was the first senator to announce he would be joining a band of House conservatives to force a debate and vote on the Electoral College results. 

President TrumpDonald TrumpMcCarthy says he told Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene he disagreed with her impeachment articles against Biden Biden, Trudeau agree to meet next month Trump planned to oust acting AG to overturn Georgia election results: report MORE, who has endorsed efforts to challenge the election results in Congress, has claimed that the election was "rigged" or that there was widespread voter fraud. And the 11 senators, in their joint statement, alleged that the 2020 election included "unprecedented allegations of voter fraud."

Dozens of attempts by Trump's legal team to challenge the results in key states have been dismissed by the courts and election experts have repeatedly rejected claims of widespread voter fraud. Then-Attorney General William BarrBill BarrBudowsky: Democracy won, Trump lost, President Biden inaugurated Two-thirds say the election was fair: poll The Hill's Morning Report - An inauguration like no other MORE also said last month that his department had found no widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the election. 

The objection on Jan. 6 will not change President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenMcCarthy says he told Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene he disagreed with her impeachment articles against Biden Biden, Trudeau agree to meet next month Fauci infuriated by threats to family MORE's win, but it is putting GOP incumbents up for reelection in 2022 in a political bind because they will have to pick between supporting claims of fraud, which many of them have spoken out against, or voting against the president and potentially fueling a primary challenge. 

If an objection has the support of a member of the House and a member of the Senate, the two chambers separate and debate it for up to two hours. Both the House and Senate would then vote on whether to uphold the objection, which would require a majority in both chambers to be successful.

Wednesday's objections will fail because Democrats control the House and several GOP senators have said they will oppose objections next week.

But Wednesday will mark only the third time since 1887 that Congress has had to debate and vote on an objection. The attempts to change the results in 1969 and 2005 were also unsuccessful. 

 

The decision to support challenging the election results comes even as GOP leaders and several of their colleagues have publicly dismissed the effort, underscoring frustration within the caucus. 

 

"I don’t think anybody is anxious to do this, maybe with a few exceptions, obviously, but I think that, you know, now that we're locked into doing it, we’ll give air to the objections, and people can have their day in court, and we’ll hear everybody out, and then we’ll vote," said Sen. John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden's crisis agenda hits headwinds Senate chaos threatens to slow Biden's agenda NRSC chair says he'll back GOP incumbents against Trump primary challengers MORE (R-S.D.), asked about frustration from GOP senators. "But like I said, in the end, I don’t think it changes anything." 

In the wake of Saturday's announcement both Sens. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyGovernment used Patriot Act to gather website visitor logs in 2019 Appeals court rules NSA's bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford withdraws from consideration to chair coronavirus oversight panel MORE (R-Pa.) and Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiTrump impeachment trial to begin week of Feb. 8 Murkowski didn't vote for Trump, won't join Democrats Trump impeachment article being sent to Senate Monday MORE (R-Alaska) formally announced that they would oppose attempts to challenge the election results. 

Sen. Ben SasseBen SasseRepublican senators and courage The next pandemic may be cyber — How Biden administration can stop it GOP senators say only a few Republicans will vote to convict Trump MORE (R-Neb.), in an open letter to constituents this week, accused the lawmakers of trying to win over the president's supporters, adding, "Adults don’t point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government." 

 

Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden's crisis agenda hits headwinds GOP senators say only a few Republicans will vote to convict Trump For Biden, a Senate trial could aid bipartisanship around COVID relief MORE (R-Utah) added that objecting during the Wednesday joint session "continues to spread the false rumor that somehow the election was stolen."

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump impeachment trial to begin week of Feb. 8 Democrats float 14th Amendment to bar Trump from office Biden signals he's willing to delay Trump trial MORE (R-Ky.) has not publicly weighed in on decisions by GOP senators to object to the election results. But he urged the caucus during a conference call last month to not object, warning that it would be a tough vote for in-cycle senators that would not change the election result. 

 

McConnell, during a separate call on Thursday, told Republican senators that he viewed the vote on the election results as the most important vote he has taken during his decades in Congress. 

 

"He said it was the most consequential vote," Romney recounted to reporters. "I see that as a statement that he believes ... it's a referendum on our democracy."

The plan by the 11 GOP senators immediately sparked fierce pushback, previewing what will likely be a heated debate on Wednesday over the objections. Each chamber will debate each objection for up to two hours, during which a senator can speak for up to five minutes. 

“'I did sedition because I was up for re-election' is a helluva thing to explain to your grandkid," Sen. Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzFor platform regulation Congress should use a European cheat sheet Senate Democrats rebuke GOP colleagues who say they'll oppose Electoral College results 11 Senate Republicans say they will oppose Electoral College results Wednesday MORE (D-Hawaii) tweeted. 

 
Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharDemocrats seek answers on impact of Russian cyberattack on Justice Department, Courts A Day in Photos: The Biden Inauguration Senators vet Buttigieg to run Transportation Department MORE (D-Minn.), the top Democrat on the Rules Committee and one of four lawmakers who will help read and count the votes Wednesday, said the call for an election commission "amounts to nothing more than an attempt to subvert the will of the voters." 

“It is undemocratic. It is un-American. And fortunately it will be unsuccessful. In the end, democracy will prevail," she said in a statement.