A group of 11 Republican senators led by lawmaker Ted Cruz is set to challenge Joe Biden’s election win.
The Republicans‘ statement, signed on Saturday by Cruz and six other current senators along with four senators-elect, asserts that “allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes.”
The coalition has pledged to reject the results when Congress meets next week to count the Electoral College votes and certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
The Republican senators will demand the creation of a special commission to conduct an “emergency 10-day audit” of the election results.
“We intend to vote on January 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 wrote in the statement.
“We do not take this action lightly,” the coalition added.
The coalition is the latest addition to President Donald Trump’s extraordinary efforts to overturn the election. Trump has yet to accept the election results, months after his defeat on November 3.
The President and his allies have filed over 50 lawsuits challenging election results and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. He’s also lost twice at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Unsurprisingly, Trump tweeted out his support for the coalition.
“An attempt to steal a landslide win. Can’t let it happen!” Trump tweeted Saturday.
Posting a list of the 11 senators, Trump added: “And after they see the facts, plenty more to come… Our Country will love them for it!”
Members of the Coalition
The group of senators, joining Ted Cruz to derail the election result, includes Senators 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 Senators-elect Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
Some Criticism
While Trump and his allies are fully behind the latest effort, not everybody within the Republican party is on board.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had urged his party not to try to overturn what nonpartisan election officials have concluded was a free and fair vote.
Other prominent Republican lawmakers to oppose the initiative include Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Sen. Mitt Romney and Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska.
Murkowski said in a statement on Saturday that she would vote to affirm the election and urged senators in both parties to join her in “maintaining confidence in the Electoral College and our elections so that we ensure we have the continued trust of the American people.”
Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska urged his colleagues to “reject this dangerous ploy,” which he said threatens the nation’s civic norms.
Sen. Mitt Romney, called the move an “egregious ploy” of ambitious politicians and suggested it opens the door for any election loser to claim fraud.
Donald Trump became the first president in 30 years to lose his re-election bid with Joe Biden set to be inaugurated Jan. 20 after winning the Electoral College vote 306-232.
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