Senate GOP leaders seek to put an end to election disputes
By Alexander Bolton - 12/14/20 06:58 PM EST
Senate Republican leaders want to avoid a messy debate and vote on the legitimacy of the election results when Congress meets Jan. 6 to count the votes of the Electoral College, which on Monday elected Joe Biden as president.
Senate GOP leaders have downplayed the chances of objecting to the vote by electors, but several House Republicans led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) will move ahead with objections to state results. If just one GOP senator joins Brooks, each chamber will then meet separately to consider those objections.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), asked about the prospect of fellow Republicans objecting to the count said, “It’s not going anywhere.â€
“It’s an opportunity for people to vent and protest, but in the end we have a clear way of determining our president. Those steps have been adhered to. They’ve been followed,†Thune added.
Asked what he would say to Republican senators thinking about endorsing a protest, which would force the Senate to debate and vote on an objection to a specific state’s electoral vote, Thune said it’s time for his party to accept the results of the election.
“I can’t tell them what them to do. I understand there are people who feel strongly about the outcome of this election, but in the end at some point you have to face the music,†he added.
“Once the Electoral College settles the issue today, then it’s time for everybody to move on,†he advised.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/530193-senate-gop-leaders-seek-to-put-an-end-to-election-disputes