The 11 Republican lawmakers said they plan to back up a complaint about Electoral College votes, if one is introduced, and propose an election commission to conduct a “10-day emergency review” of the elections election in the “controversial states.” In the group are Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and Mike Braun of Indiana, and Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas , Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
“A fair and credible review – done quickly and completed well before January 20 – would significantly improve American faith in our selection process and significantly improve legitimacy no matter who becomes the next head- We owe it to the people, “he said in a statement, adding that Congress’ vote on January 6 is the” single constitutional power left to consider and resolve the issues. numerous allegations of voter fraud. “
Penny seemed to support the move on Saturday.
“Vice President (Mike) Pence shares the concerns of millions of Americans over voter turnout and anomalies in the last election. The Vice President welcomes the efforts of members the House and the Senate to use their authority under the law to raise grievances and testify before Congress and the American people on Jan. 6, “said Marc Short, the deputy chief of staff. president, in a statement to CNN.
No credible allegations have been made about any issues with voting that would affect the election, as confirmed by dozens of state and federal courts, governors, state election officials and the departments of Homeland Security and Justice. And no Republican incumbent who opposes Biden’s influence has contradicted what Trump won, or in some cases what he won, on the same day.
Hawley tweeted Saturday that he’s “excited to see more Senators coming into the fight.”
In his statement, the 11 GOP senators and election elders did not specify the states they intend to reject, but Hawley has stated that he intends to challenge the certification of at least one state, Pennsylvania.
Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney described the move as an “egregious ploy” after Americans chose Biden.
“The egregious ploy for voter rejection may increase the political will of some, but it threatens to threaten our Democratic Republic. The power of transport to reject voters is reserved for the most bizarre and unusual circumstances. “These are far from it. More Americans argued in this election than ever before, and they made their choice,” Romney said in a statement Saturday.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat in New York, apparently rejected the news Saturday from a full-fledged Republican, tweeting: “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be President and Vice President. President of the United States in 18 days. “
The 11 Republican lawmakers seemed to admit on Saturday that their efforts could be futile, saying they are not “naïve” and “fully expect the majority to vote if not all Democrats, and maybe more than a few Republicans. “
Mike Gwin, a spokesman for Biden, scrapped the plan completely out of the Republican senators, saying it was a “stunt” on Saturday.
“This stunt will not change the fact that President Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20,” Gwin said. “And these unfounded claims have already been investigated and dismissed by Trump’s own attorney general. , dozens of courts, and election officials from both parties. “
Trump has been pushing for Congress to try to reverse the election result, while his campaign’s efforts to reverse the election through the courts have again been rejected.
This story was updated with further improvements on Saturday.
CNN’s Arlette Saenz, Jeremy Herb, Phil Mattingly, Alison Main, Nicky Robertson and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.