A bipartisan group of senators on Sunday urged their colleagues to support the Electoral College vote, as at least a dozen GOP senators prepare to challenge the election results on Wednesday.
GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Bill Cassidy (La.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Mitt Romney (Utah) and Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Mark Warner (Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Independent Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said in a joint statement that the “election is over.”
“At this point, further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people and only serve to undermine Americans’ confidence in the already determined election results,” they said.
“The voters have spoken, and Congress must now fulfill its responsibility to certify the election results. …. It is time to move forward,” they added.
The joint statement comes a day after 11 GOP senators, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said they would support challenges to the Electoral College results on Wednesday, when Congress convenes a joint session to formally count the vote.
Combined with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who had already said he plans to object, that means at least 12 GOP senators will support attempts to overturn President-Elect Joe Biden’s win, after he received 306 Electoral College votes to President Trump’s 232.