Posted on 01/03/2021 3:59:13 PM PST by RandFan
"The text of the Constitution is clear. States select electors. Congress does not. Accordingly, our path forward is also clear. We mush respect the states' authority here," the statement said. "Though doing so may frustrate or immediate political objectives, we have sworn an oath to promote the Constitution above our policy goals."
The seven Republicans began their statement by expressing outrage at the "significant abuses in our election system" through "reckless" adoption of mail-in ballots leading up to the November election.
Trump and several other congressional leaders have complained of voter fraud tied to the widespread use of mail-in ballots during the pandemic, though no evidence supports claims of a rigged election.
"The people cannot trust a system that refuses to guarantee that only legal votes are cast to select its leaders," the representatives wrote. "The elections held in at least six battleground states raise profound questions, and it is a legal, constitutional, and moral imperative that they be answered."
However, they continued, "only the states have authority to appoint electors, in accordance with state law. Congress has only a narrow role in the presidential election process."
The legislative body's role is to count the electors submitted by states, not to determine which electors should have been sent, the representatives said.
Massie, along with Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.; Ken Buck, R-Colo.; Mike Gallagher, R-Wis.; Nancy Mace, R-S.C.; Tom McClintock, R-Cal.; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, said Congress will have no authority to influence the outcome of the election unless a state decides to send a new slate of votes to Congress before Wednesday.
"To take action otherwise — that is, to unconstitutionally insert Congress into the center of the presidential election process — would amount to stealing power from the people and the states. It would, in effect, replace the electoral college with Congress, and in doing so strengthen the efforts of those on the left who are determined to eliminate it or render it irrelevant."
These are some very learned members...
He’s completely ignoring Article II of the constitution - only state legislatures have the authority to determine how elections are conducted. elections conducted by governor fiat, bureaucratic fiat, or court mandates are invalid.
you mis-spelled “clueless” .....”spineless”
These guys raise hardly any money... I believe Buck doesn’t take PAC money
The last thing I ever want is to give Congress an effective veto over a presidential election.
Authority? Under what, the Constitution? That doesn’t exist anymore. If it or something like it is going to, it’s going to need a country to exist in.
Either he’s ignorant of the US Constitution he’s sworn to uphold, or he’s a liar.
The failure of a legislature to even acknowledge an election process that violated its own statutes is an implicit approval of that election process.
The traitors will hang and if not they will for certain burn.
Those votes in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin legislatures can be done Monday. Tuesday or even Wednesday morning. New slates can be on the way that fast. Things are going to move very fast over the next 68 hours.
And if those states send slates of electors from their legislature this week, then Massie should take a consistent approach and claim that Congress has no authority not to pick those slates.
But he doesn't do that.
He seems to be in love with rogue governors unconstitutionally sending slates of electors.
Yup this.
Massie loves rogue governors ignoring the Constitution and picking slates of electors.
The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves;
they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;–the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;
–The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed;
and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President.
But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote;
a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice.
[And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.
–]The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President;
a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice.
But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.
Check opensecrets.org
I can tell you its probably 0
If it is $0, then he should keep his FAT MOUTH shut
Oh Please .
McLintock alone is a cash cow and been investigated .
This is why we needed the state legislatures to be in GOP control... wait...
As i understand it their position is that it is down to state legislatures not them as Members of Congress:
“If states believe there was fraud—and if they believe that such fraud affected the outcome of the election—they must, as a body, convene immediately and send us that information, along with certified electoral votes cast by a Trump slate of electors.”
Alberta correct me if i’m wrong.
That is not clear as to what he seems to be saying. If the state legislatures, a lot who were paid by CCP, don’t act, we’re supposed to take it, because it is procedure? FRAUD is FRAUD! There is no excuse, and can be combated any way possible. We are not some third world banana republic. And these congress-critters have to get their heads straight. A challenge IS provided for as one way to combat fraud.
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