Mr. Grijalva. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado for yielding time.
I will be very brief, Madam Speaker. There is really nothing left to say. This challenge brought by Members of this House, Republican Members from this House from Arizona and a Senator from Texas, the whole discussion today, this challenge to the 11 electoral votes that are designated for President Biden and Vice President Harris, the discussion today proves there is no merit to denying those electoral votes. There is no legal standing. The courts have proven that in Arizona time and time again. There is no precedent. There was no constitutional violation.
But we are here today, Madam Speaker, because of one man and those who are desperate to please him.
So what do we have to show for this process today? Fear, a lockdown, violence, and, regrettably and sadly, death, arrests, present and real danger, threats, an assault on our institution, this House, this Congress, and the very democracy that we practice here.
And to what end? What did we accomplish?
The reality is that the challenges will be defeated. Come January 20, President Biden and Vice President Harris will be the President and Vice President of the United States.
So what have we accomplished? To further divide this Nation? To continue to fan the same rhetoric of division and us versus them? To paralyze and dismantle our democracy? Is that what we attempted to accomplish today?
The mob that attacked this institution, I hold no Member specifically responsible for that madness that was around us, but we do share a responsibility, my friends, to end it. It is past time to accept reality, to reaffirm our democracy and move on.
I would urge my colleagues from Arizona who filed this challenge to withdraw their challenge to this, to Arizona and to the electors that have been chosen to give their 11 votes to the winners in that election.
But if that doesn’t happen, then I would urge my colleagues to reject this challenge and defend all voters, defend the voters of Arizona and that democracy that we practice daily in the representation of our constituents. That is what is at stake today.
Ms. DeGette. Madam Speaker, on Sunday, every Member in this Chamber took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and there is only one vote tonight for those who took that oath, and that vote is to reject this challenge.
The Speaker. All time for debate has expired.
The question is, Shall the objection to the Arizona electoral college vote count submitted by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz) be agreed to.
The question was taken; and the Speaker announced that the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. Jordan. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The Speaker. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were—yeas 121, nays 303, not voting 7, as follows:
[Roll No. 10]
YEAS—121
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NAYS—303
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NOT VOTING—7
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□ 2308
Messrs. Mooney, Wittman, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Young, and Grothman changed their vote from “yea” to “nay.”
Messrs. Johnson of Ohio, Reschenthaler, and Mrs. Walorski changed their vote from “nay” to “yea.”
So the objection was not agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated against:
Mrs. Kim of California. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted “nay” on rollcall No. 10.
The Speaker. The Clerk will now notify the Senate of the action of the House, informing that body that the House is now ready to proceed in joint session with the further counting of the electoral vote for the President and the Vice President.
