Paul Ryan Rips Republican Attempts to Reject Electoral College Vote Are ‘Antidemocratic and Anti-conservative’

Paul Ryan Rips Republican Attempts to Reject Electoral College Vote Are ‘Antidemocratic and Anti-conservative’

Former House speaker, Republican Paul Ryan, recently had some strong words for members of his own party who plan to object to the Electoral College vote certification that clearly showed Trump’s defeat.

Ryan, who represented Wisconsin in the House for a decade beginning in 1999, released the following statement:

“All our basic rights and freedoms flow from a fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law. This principle is not only fundamentally American but a central tenet of conservatism.

Under our system, voters determine the president, and this self-governance cannot sustain itself if the whims of Congress replace the will of the people. I urge members to consider the precedent that it would set.”

“Paul Ryan” by Gage Skidmore is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is spearheading the planned attempt to reject the certification of the Electoral College votes that affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory in the November election. About a dozen Republican senators have joined their voices and plan to reject the certification, as well.

The first senator to say he would reject the certification was Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. CNN reported that an estimated 140 members of the House of Representatives also plan to do the same.

Ryan said, “Efforts to reject the votes of the Electoral College and sow doubt about Joe Biden’s victory strike at the foundation of our republic. It is difficult to conceive of a more antidemocratic and anti-conservative act than a federal intervention to overturn the results of state-certified elections and disenfranchise millions of Americans.”

“Paul Ryan” by Gage Skidmore is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Ryan began serving as House speaker in 2015, announced his retirement from the House of Representatives in 2018, and ultimately exited Congress in 2019.

Following the November election and Biden’s victory, Trump has repeatedly alleged widespread voter fraud with absolutely zero evidence to back up those allegations. Trump and his allies have refused to accept Biden’s victory and used mounting pressure on officials in many states where Trump lost.

Ryan said, “The Trump campaign had ample opportunity to challenge election results, and those efforts failed from lack of evidence. The legal process was exhausted, and the results were decisively confirmed.”

Ryan also pointed out that the Department of Justice had also stated it had not “seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” despite the president’s baseless claims.

Flickr / Gage Skidmore / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Although many are planning to reject the count, some Republicans, including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, are urging lawmakers to “move forward. A group of 10 bipartisan senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Mitt Romney of Utah, have joined added their support in accepting the legitimacy of Biden’s victory, as well.

Ryan said, “If states wish to reform their processes for future elections, that is their prerogative. But Joe Biden’s victory is entirely legitimate.”

If the lawmakers do follow through with an objection, it will force a discussion and vote by the House and the Senate. Even so, it would be unlikely – EXTREMELY UNLIKELY – to have ANY impact on the outcome since Democrats control the House. A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency and Biden secured 306 compared to Trump’s 232.

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