PA–10, Glenn Thompson PA–15, Jim Jordan OH–4, Dan Meuser PA–9, Clay Higgins LA–3, Tom Rice SC–7, Yvette Herrell NM–2, Alexander Mooney WV–2, Andy Biggs AZ–5, John W. Rose TN–6, W. Greg Steube FL–17, Madison Cawthorn NC–11, Bill Posey FL–8, Jeff Duncan SC–3, Brian Babin TX–36, Louie Gohmert TX–1.
Brian J. Mast FL–18, Warren Davidson OH–8, Andy Harris MD–1, Doug Lamborn CO–5, Kat Cammack FL–3, Tracey Mann KS–1, Bob Good VA–5, Adrian Smith NE–3, Billy Long MO–7, Jack Bergman MI–1, Michael Cloud TX–27, Byron Donalds FL–19, Rick Crawford AR–1, Roger Williams TX–25, Bob Gibbs OH–7, Russ Fulcher ID–1, Richard Hudson NC–8, Ted Budd NC–13, Barry Moore AL–2, Lee Zeldin NY–1.
Jake LaTurner KS–2, David Rouzer NC–7, Jason Smith MO–8, Lauren Boebert CO–3, Paul A. Gosar AZ–4, Chuck Fleischmann TN–3, Tim Burchett TN–2, Chris Jacobs NY–27, Bill Johnson OH–6, Andrew S. Clyde GA–9, Lance Gooden TX–5, Randy Feenstra IA–4, Mary E. Miller IL–15, Diana Harshbarger TN–1, Mark E. Green TN–7, Ron Estes KS–4, Neal Dunn FL–2, Ronny Jackson TX–13, Elise Stefanik NY–21, Ralph Norman SC–5.
Joe Wilson SC–2, Vicky Hartzler MO–4, Scott DesJarlais TN–4, Marjorie Taylor Greene GA–14, Doug LaMalfa CA–1, Jeff Van Drew NJ–2, Ben Cline VA–6, Michael D. Rogers AL–3, Markwayne Mullin OK–2, Jeff Duncan SC–3, Pat Fallon TX–4, Brad R. Wenstrup OH–2, August Pfluger TX–11, Rob Wittman VA–1, Scott Franklin FL–15, David Kustoff TN–8, Sam Graves MO–6, Matt Gaetz FL–1, Randy K. Weber TX–14.The Speaker. The Chair will endeavor to alternate recognition between Members speaking in support of the objection and Members speaking in opposition to the objection.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) for 5 minutes.
Mr. Perry. Madam Speaker, this is a somber day for the defense of the Constitution. You see, the Constitution is just a piece of paper. It cannot defend itself. That is why our leaders swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and that is what I am doing here this evening.
The Constitution states: “The times, places, and manner of holding elections … shall be prescribed … by the legislature”—not the courts, not the Governor, not the secretary of state or other bureaucrats or elected officials, the legislature.
In Pennsylvania, the supreme court unilaterally extended the deadline for ballots to 3 days after the election. They actually wanted 10. The supreme court is not the legislature. The supreme court mandated un-postmarked ballots to be received, destroying the validity of all the votes that were cast timely.
The supreme court action defied the law, the legislature, and the will of the people.
The supreme court authorized the use of drop boxes, where ballot harvesting could occur. The legislature never authorized that form of voting, and the court had absolutely no right to do so.
Responding to the secretary of state, Kathy Boockvar, the supreme court ruled that mail-in ballots need not authenticate signatures.
Once again, the court not only defied the Constitution and the will of the people, but by so doing, they created a separate class of voters, thereby violating the Equal Protection Clause prescribed in the Constitution.
How can we have two legally separate classes of voters? Yet, the court made it so, not the legislature.
The Constitution doesn’t mention the court when determining the time, place, and manner of elections because they are not authorized to make those decisions. Yet, they did it.
And the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the case, denying the evidence and denying the demands for justice from the people of Pennsylvania and America.
These aren’t my opinions. These aren’t partisan viewpoints. These are irrefutable facts.
Six days before the election, guidance emailed from the secretary of state required that the counties shall not pre-canvass or canvass any mail-in or civilian absentee ballots received between 8 o’clock Tuesday and 5 o’clock Friday and that they must be kept separately. That was 6 days before the election.
Madam Speaker, 2 days before the election, counties received new guidance from the secretary of state, informing counties that they shall canvass segregated absentee and mail-in ballots as soon as possible upon receipt.
The secretary of state is not elected by the people. She is not a member of the legislature. Yet, she, and she alone, determined the time and manner of elections. That was unconstitutional.
In defiance of a U.S. Supreme Court order that all ballots received after election day be segregated, the secretary of state knew, once they were canvassed, that is opened and commingled with all the other ballots, they would be counted with all the rest.
And what is the remedy for this defiance, for this lawbreaking? So far, the court has decided there is no remedy. There is no penalty for this lawlessness, this dilution of lawfully cast votes, this defiance of the Constitution—no remedy. When the State legislature requested the Governor to convene a special session to address the unanswered questions and try to provide a remedy, he refused.
When votes are accepted under unconstitutional means without fair and equal protection for all, the only result can be an illegitimate outcome—illegitimate.
The voters did not create this mess, but the will of the people is absolutely being subverted by the deliberate and willful actions of individuals defying their oath, the law, and the Constitution.
In Pennsylvania, we use the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, system as the basis of determining who can vote. Unfortunately, a recent attempted audit by the Democrat State auditor general concluded that he was unable to establish with any degree of reasonable assurance that the SURE system is secure and that Pennsylvania voter registration records are complete and accurate.
That is what we are relying on. That right there. This is the very same system used to certify the election in the contest for President of the United States. This is the very same system that the State used to certify the 2020 election, even though its figures do not match more than half of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
To this day, right now, while we stand here, how can this election be certified using a system that after 2 months still displays that over 205,000 more votes were cast in Pennsylvania than people who voted in the November election? Let me say that again: 205,000 more votes than voters.
Mr. Neguse. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the objection.
The Speaker. The gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Neguse. Madam Speaker, to my colleague from Pennsylvania, I will say this: I carry the same Constitution that you do. And the Constitution, sir, does not allow you, me, or any Member of this body to substitute our judgment for that of the American people. It does not allow us to disregard the will of the American people. Because under this Constitution, under our Constitution, Congress doesn’t choose the President. The American people do. And they have chosen in resounding numbers, as every single Member of this body well understands.
Madam Speaker, I have been at a loss to explain what happened today, but there is a statement that I found that largely summarized my thoughts on the matter.
“The scenes of mayhem unfolding at the seat of our Nation’s government” are a “sickening and heartbreaking sight. This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic, not our democratic Republic. I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement. The violent assault on the Capitol, and the disruption of a constitutionally mandated meeting of Congress, was undertaken by people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes. Insurrection could do grave damage to our Nation and our reputation.
“In the United States of America, it is the fundamental responsibility of every patriotic citizen to support the rule of law. To those who are disappointed in the results of the election: Our country is more important than the politics of the moment.”
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Those are not my words. Those are the words of former Republican President George W. Bush.
To my colleagues, it is after midnight tonight. It has been a long day
