WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced Wednesday that he will object to Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote next week.
On January 6, the House and Senate will assemble for a joint session to count the electoral votes that have been submitted by each state.
It’s the final step in cementing the victory of President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated President Donald Trump 306-232. The Electoral College certified those results in December.
The January 6 process is usually done relatively quickly, but Hawley’s promise to object all but ensures at least a short delay.
In a statement, Hawley said he’s objecting to put a spotlight on allegations of election irregularities. “At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act,” wrote Hawley.
A member of the House would also need to object in order for both chambers to take up a vote on the matter. Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) has already said he would lead an objection.
The House and Senate will each then vote on the matter, with a simple majority required to uphold the objection and each chamber would need to agree to the objection for it to succeed.
The objection is certain to fail, since the House is controlled by the Democrats and many GOP lawmakers in the Republican-held Senate have acknowledged Biden’s win.
In his statement, Hawley noted that Democrats have objected to certifications in the past as well. This is true, with the most recent being in 2017. Multiple Democrats rose to object to Trump’s election, but none submitted it in writing, and it was gaveled down.
