trea·son/ˈtrēzən/ noun – the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.
se·di·tion/səˈdiSH(ə)n/ noun –conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
Since the November third general election, Republicans have been working to examine voter irregularities that amount to fraud. Mike Pence confirmed Jan 2, 2021, that he welcomes efforts by lawmakers to object to the electoral college vote on Jan 6. This reconfirms that Mike Pence remains passionate about election integrity.
11 more Senators joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-Miss.) in objection to Biden’s electoral votes.
The list of U.S. Senators that are pledging to investigate voter fraud: Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Senators-Elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)
The Republican efforts to examine fraud have been labeled by the democratic media as acts of treason or sedition. All of the efforts by Republican’s have been within the rule of law and prescribed by the constitution. The efforts have surrounded using legal remedies only. Republican leaders have not ventured into a rebellion or a plan to overthrow the American republic. Restoring confidence in the voting process would strengthen the republic.
“These are matters worthy of the Congress, and entrusted to us to defend. We do not take this action lightly. We are acting not to thwart the democratic process, but rather to protect it. And every one of us should act together to ensure that the election was lawfully conducted under the Constitution and to do everything we can to restore faith in our Democracy.”
Enemy #1
Ted Cruz was labeled enemy number one by the corrupt congressman Eric Swalwell. Ted Cruz is known as a quick-witted debater from Texas but not for outlandish grandstanding. His release today, along with the 10 other senators, sent shock waves through D.C. because it speaks to the gravity of the fraud allegations. The Senators acknowledged the intensity of the situation and that they intended to fully support and “comply with the Constitution and with federal and state law.“
“By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes.“
Vice President Biden has not been confirmed as the President-Elect
The votes from the electoral college are set to be counted on January 6 and the outcome of the vote tallies is still to be determined. Senator Josh Hawley had previously made plans to object to the Biden Electoral slates because several states sent a dueling slate of electors. Together, the senators laid out a reasonable argument for why they plan on objecting to the Biden slates of electors from contested states on January 6. The senators believe the American people need answers for the evidence of fraud.
“And those allegations are not believed just by one individual candidate. Instead, they are widespread. Reuters/Ipsos polling, tragically, shows that 39% of Americans believe ‘the election was rigged.’ That belief is held by Republicans (67%), Democrats (17%), and Independents (31%).
As of January 2, 12 senators have now stepped forward to challenge Biden’s slates of electors on January 6th and more are expected.
Highlights from the release:
“The election of 2020, like the election of 2016, was hard fought and, in many swing states, narrowly decided. The 2020 election, however, featured unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities.
“But, whether or not our elected officials or journalists believe it, that deep distrust of our democratic processes will not magically disappear. It should concern us all. And it poses an ongoing threat to the legitimacy of any subsequent administrations.
“Ideally, the courts would have heard evidence and resolved these claims of serious election fraud. Twice, the Supreme Court had the opportunity to do so; twice, the Court declined.
“The lone constitutional power remaining to consider and force resolution of the multiple allegations of serious voter fraud.”
Being that the time has run out for the supreme court to act on the allegations of fraud, congress needs to review the evidence to restore confidence in the Republic. There is a historic precedent for their action.
“At that quadrennial joint session, there is a long precedent of Democratic Members of Congress raising objections to presidential election results, as they did in 1969, 2001, 2005, and 2017. And, in both 1969 and 2005.” Though the democratic party’s objections were ultimately determined to be frivolous, there is a long history of objections. It was within their legal right to voice their objections just as these objections are today.
Lesson in History
The senators shared the historical context from the 1877 election that mirrors the concerns of 2020.
“The most direct precedent on this question arose in 1877, following serious allegations of fraud and illegal conduct in the Hayes-Tilden presidential race. Specifically, the elections in three states-Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina-were alleged to have been conducted illegally.
“In 1877, Congress did not ignore those allegations, nor did the media simply dismiss those raising them as radicals trying to undermine democracy. Instead, Congress appointed an Electoral Commission-consisting of five Senators, five House Members, and five Supreme Court Justices-to consider and resolve the disputed returns.
The senators simply asked for the same legal remedy.
“Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission’s findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed.”
The senators would like an audit to occur before the swearing-in of the new president. “Accordingly, we intend to vote on January 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not ‘regularly given’ and ‘lawfully certified’ (the statutory requisite), unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed.”
Given the circumstances, an audit should be welcomed by the legislators.
No president can govern without the consent of the people. The senators are not suggesting that they should select the president themselves. They are suggesting that if the result of the audit proves that the incorrect presidential candidate was selected that they should move to remedy it before the swearing-in.
Some Republicans such as Ben Sasse have come out saying that they do not intend on objecting to the electors on January 6. If multiple republicans break from their party, then the senators may not have the numbers that they need to investigate election fraud in a timely manner. Failure to investigate would leave every American in the dark in knowing who truly won the 2020 election.