narrow role. If we suspect that an election was compromised in a sovereign State, then we have a role in the seating of those electors and the counting.
America is not a confederacy of States. We are a union of States. We are a representative republic. Therefore, each sovereign State has a deep obligation to follow the writ of its own election law during a Federal election.
We would not be having this conversation if our objections were solely rested upon the elections of sovereign State Governors or State senators and representatives. It is a Federal election for the President and Vice President of the United States. We certainly have a role, and we should investigate and support that role.
Madam Speaker, America is an anointed nation, born of imperfect men driven by perfect intent. May we be worthy of what it is to be an American, what it is to be a representative of the American people.
May I ask, may we seek the quiet whisper of God’s own voice within us. And I ask my colleagues to consider supporting this objection.
I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).
Mr. Van Drew. Madam Speaker, before I start, something I didn’t plan on saying. This is a debate. It is a discussion. Everybody has a right to an opinion. That is American. Because someone doesn’t agree with your view or your ideas does not mean that they are liars. It means they have a different view, a different opinion.
And I think, for God’s sake, as people watch this or see it or hear it, they expect more from us than that. We can disagree at a certain level. There is nothing worse than moral pomposity.
You know, today was an amazing and terrible day. But one thing that we do know is that our law enforcement protected lives, and they protected and preserved our democracy. I watched firsthand, as I always have, just as I do back home in south Jersey, these brave men and women put their lives on the line to defend all of us.
May God bless the woman who lost her life today, and may God bless what will always be the greatest Nation in the history of the world: the United States of America.
At the core of our country’s greatness is our democratic system of government. Without faith in the integrity of our elections, Americans will not have faith in our democracy.
The United States of America is the international embodiment of freedom and opportunity, the shining city on a hill. Free and fair elections have always been a hallmark of America’s greatness.
After this past Presidential election, approximately 60 million Americans have serious doubts about the outcome. That is a number that we cannot ignore.
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Ms. Scanlon. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the objection.
The Speaker. The gentlewoman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. Scanlon. Madam Speaker, I started this day disheartened that our colleagues were going to drag us through this cynical political charade of objecting to duly certified electoral college votes, but I was ready and eager to defend Pennsylvania’s elections and the will of Pennsylvania’s voters.
Never did I expect to be answering calls from family and friends concerned for my safety or to have to barricade myself in an office. But most important of all, never did I expect to see our Capitol overrun by armed insurrectionists intent on disrupting our government at the urging of the President.
What happened here today has made me heart-sick for our country, but it only strengthens my resolve to uphold the rule of law and to protect the decision of Pennsylvania’s voters.
Earlier this week, we raised our hands and swore an oath to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. But, today, those who are blocking the counting of electors from Pennsylvania are showing that their allegiance lies not to the Constitution or to their constituents, and many would argue not even to the Republican Party, but to their own political fortunes and the outgoing President.
Pennsylvania’s voters, not Members of Congress, are tasked with choosing Pennsylvania’s Presidential electors, and particularly not congressmen from other States. The people have spoken, and Pennsylvania certified our electors. We must respect our oath here by rejecting this unfounded objection to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, and not substitute Congress’ judgment for that of the people of Pennsylvania.
Legal challenges to elections are serious matters, and that is why there is a place to consider those challenges: In courtrooms before impartial judges.
And Pennsylvania’s legal process has worked. The pseudo-legal arguments that are being raised by the objectors here today are not new. Over the past 2 months, the President and his allies have filed more than 20 lawsuits to challenge the Pennsylvania election. Those challenges have been rejected in Federal courts, State courts, appellate courts, and the United States Supreme Court. Challenges have been rejected by judges who are registered Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and who have been appointed by Democratic and Republican Presidents.
And why did they lose all those cases?
As Third Circuit Judge Bibas, a Trump appointee, wrote, “Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”
What the Court said points to an important distinction about when and how claims of election misconduct are made. It is easy to make wild claims of election fraud on cable television or Twitter, but those claims are not facts. And while there may be no immediate consequences for misleading the public with such statements, there is certainly a penalty for misleading the courts.
A lawyer faces fines, jail, and loss of his or her license for making frivolous or false claims. The lawyers for the Trump campaign never alleged widespread fraud or illegal voting had impacted Pennsylvania’s elections because those claims are false.
When our colleagues indulge in this political theatre and endorse fringe conspiracy theories, they may think there are no consequences because they know that this time the majorities of the House and Senate will overrule them. But as the entire world saw today, their baseless claims of election fraud do have consequences. They undermine faith and respect for our elections and our government. They chip away at the foundation of our constitutional Republic and they take a sledgehammer to the peaceful transfer of power. It is our job to respect the rule of law and reject this political charade.
Finally, I want to offer my deepest respect to our Republican colleagues in both the House and the Senate who have withstood intense political pressure, and today honor their oath in the rule of law by rejecting these unfounded objections.
Mr. Williams of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in favor of the objection.
The Speaker. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Williams of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would first like to say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who said we should be ashamed over here, I am not ashamed, and neither are my colleagues over here. We are actually proud of what we are doing and what we are standing for. So I hope the Record will show that.
Yesterday’s cowardly attack on our American democracy was a horrible act. While Congress attempted to execute their constitutional duty to debate and vote on this certification of the electoral college, violence interrupted the proceedings in an attempt to stop the democratic process.
Those who committed these acts are domestic terrorists and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And I thank the Capitol Police and all of the law enforcement organizations that pushed back against this mob.
I can’t help but be reminded of the bravery during the baseball shooting on myself and my Republican colleagues in June of 2017. I thank God every day for their presence.
The American people deserve full transparency in the electoral process, with confidence that any irregularities and inconsistencies in that process will be fully investigated.
As a former Texas secretary of state, I know the electoral process well. And
