Cornyn Says Congress Has ‘No Reason’ to Overturn Electoral College

December 4, 2020by Todd J. Gillman, The Dallas Morning News (TNS)
Cornyn Says Congress Has ‘No Reason’ to Overturn Electoral College

WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a senior Republican and adviser to the majority leader, said flatly Thursday that President Donald Trump has no realistic path to overturning the election.

After weeks of court defeats, he noted, Trump’s legal team has yet to show evidence of fraud and ballot tampering despite claims of massive, widespread tampering that padded Joe Biden’s tally by hundreds of thousands if not millions of votes.

“It looks to me like a pathway for the president has narrowed if not closed,” Cornyn said.

And if Trump allies try to overturn the will of the Electoral College in Congress, they won’t find an ally in Cornyn.

“I know of no reason that would justify Congress not doing that,” the senator said in a call with Texas news outlets.

Members of the Electoral College meet Dec. 14 to cast ballots. Biden’s tally is 306-232. The half-dozen states where Trump mounted recounts and court challenges have all certified their votes.

By law, Congress meets Jan. 6 to certify that result, and that’s almost always a mere formality.

But some Trump supporters in the House have threatened to try to derail that, which requires at least one House member and one senator to object in writing. No senator has stepped forward so far to say they’d be willing to do that.

Cornyn has refrained from referring to Biden as the president-elect, or the winner. On Thursday’s call, he referred to him as “Former Vice President Biden” in discussing some of Biden’s picks for Cabinet and other senior posts. Asked directly whether he views Biden as president-elect, Cornyn said “no,” reiterating the stance he’s taken for weeks.

Only two Texas Republicans in Congress have explicitly acknowledged Biden’s victory. Rep. Will Hurd of suburban San Antonio did so as soon as Biden was declared the winner on Nov. 7. Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth said Nov. 20 that “it’s time to move on.”

Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, along with 20 other GOP members of the House from Texas and seven incoming House freshmen have all refrained from acknowledging Biden’s win.

Thursday marked one month since Election Day. Saturday will mark four weeks since Biden’s victory became apparent, and the TV networks, Associated Press and other independent election analysts deemed him the winner, after results in Pennsylvania became clear enough to put him over the top_at least 270 out of 538 electoral votes.

As counting of mail ballots has continued, Biden’s lead in the popular vote has hit roughly 7 million.

Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million four years ago, though he notched the same electoral margin initially. His final margin was 304-227, because some electors refused to cast votes in line with their states’ voters.

___

(c)2020 The Dallas Morning News

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

A+
a-
  • 2020 Election
  • Donald Trump
  • Electoral College
  • John Cornyn
  • Texas
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Political News

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    New Dem Chair Kuster Announces Retirement Following 2024 Election

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition... Read More

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition in the House, revealed Wednesday that she will not seek reelection to Congress this year. In a lengthy statement released by her office, Kuster gives no... Read More

    March 25, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    CPAC Releases Ranking of Most Conservative Members of Congress

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of the House and Senate based on their conservative bona fides or lack thereof. To produce this year’s scorecard, the CPAC foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability analyzed... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    After a Decade on Capitol Hill, Brad Howard Steps Out on His Own

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.,... Read More

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and communications director of the Blue Dog Coalition, Brad Howard knew it was time for change. “It was time to move into the private sector,” he... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Greene Files Motion to Vacate Speaker’s Chair

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed... Read More

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed a motion to vacate the chair of the party’s speaker. But this time, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., says the motion is intended merely as a... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Gallagher to Leave Congress April 19

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who already announced he would not seek reelection, surprised many on Capitol Hill on... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who already announced he would not seek reelection, surprised many on Capitol Hill on Friday by announcing he plans to leave April 19, several months before his current term is up. Gallagher’s impending departure will further shrink the razor-thin Republican... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Judge Upholds DC Law Giving Noncitizens Voting Rights

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday against the District of Columbia Board of Elections that sought to... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday against the District of Columbia Board of Elections that sought to invalidate a law giving noncitizens a right to vote in local elections. The Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act would allow anyone who is a resident... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top