GOP Sen. Josh Hawley joins Trump-fueled push to object to Biden electors

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said he will object to the certification of the electoral college votes for Joe Biden as president when Congress convenes on Jan. 6, despite warnings from GOP leaders that they won’t support such an effort.

“I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws,” Hawley, of Missouri, said in a statement. “And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden.”

President Trump so far has refused to concede his loss in the election — citing baseless claims of fraud — and urged his supporters to carry on the fight.

Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama said earlier this month that he would object to the declaration, and other House Republicans including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia are likely to join that effort. Hawley’s announcement likely means that the House and Senate will adjourn from a joint session to debate the objection for up to two hours. The objection must be made by both a representative and a senator.

“At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections,” Hawley said. “But Congress has so far failed to act.”

John Thune, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, said last week that the attempt to object to electoral count is “just not going to go anywhere.”