Wednesday marks one of the final electoral processes in the American presidency: the ratification of election results by the U.S. Congress.
Several Republican legislators, however, have indicated they plan to contest the November outcome, which saw Joe Biden earn the most votes.
The joint session between both congressional chambers is meant to formally count the votes of the Electoral College. President Donald Trump, however, has continuously disputed his election loss and dozens of Republican congressmen have now said they will object to electors from their states. If both a House of Representatives member and a Senate member file objections, then the House and Senate will separately hear their objections and hold votes to either uphold the objection or accept the Electoral College votes.
North Carolina District 4 Representative David Price, who is Orange County’s representative in the U.S. House, recently spoke with 97.9 The Hill about the ongoing transition of power and Wednesday’s joint session to ratify results. He described the plan by Republican senators and representatives planning to contest results as “baffling,” saying it undercuts the country’s ideals of democracy.
“I never thought I’d see the day in this country where we had to fight to ensure a peaceful transition of power after a legitimate election,” said Price. “And yet, that’s where we are.”
Ahead of Wednesday, more news surfaced about President Trump’s failure to accept the results. Audio from a call with Georgia’s Republican secretary of state revealed Trump recently pressured him to “find” 11,000 votes to overturn Biden’s election win in the state. In the audio, which was first posted online by The Washington Post, Trump repeats disproved claims of voting fraud and mentions the possibility of a “criminal offense” if Georgia officials did not change the vote count.
Price said he believes the published audio further shows Trump’s mentality and actions “like a mad king, who can’t imagine being deposed.” He said it continues a concerning trend of citing falsehoods that members of the electorate then believe to be true.
“I’d say it is criminal conduct,” Price said of Trump’s phone call, “but whether it is or not, it is totally un-democratic, unethical and these House members and Senators are going along with this illusion. Elections have been certified, recounted and re-certified in state after state. [But] it doesn’t matter to Trump and there’s a certain number of people and certain kind of news media that will amplify this. It’s dangerous for two-thirds of the Republican voters to be thinking the election was stolen when there’s not a bit of evidence to suggest that.”
If ratified on Wednesday, Biden’s inauguration is set to be held on January 20. With the COVID-19 pandemic still continuing to spread in the country, though, plans have already been shifted to limit any mass gatherings in Washington D.C.
Price said he believes many Americans have much hope riding on Biden’s presidency, as he could be a leader who will ramp up efforts to combat the coronavirus while seeking cooperation instead of polarization.
“I think there’s a huge desire in the country,” he said, “to have a president who tells the truth, levels with the American people, seriously gets about controlling this pandemic and gets the economy back. There’s such a hunger for that, that I think people will welcome it.
“I hope and believe that will include a lot of independents and Republicans as well as Democrats,” added Price, “and elected officials will respond. We desperately need that kind of healing and cooperative response.”
Photo via David Price on Twitter.
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