House GOP Leader McCarthy Says He Supports Electoral College Vote Challenge

Jan 3, 2021 Epoch Times by Jack Phillips

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Sunday he supports the bid to challenge the Electoral College results when the Joint Session of Congress meets on Wednesday.

“I think it’s right that we have the debate. I mean, you see now that senators are going to object, the House is going to object—how else do we have a way to change the election problems?” McCarthy told The Hill on Sunday.

It’s not clear if McCarthy will be one of the objectors in the House.

The move is being led in the House by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who told The Epoch Times in November he is mounting the challenge. Last week, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) became the first senator to join the House GOP challenge, as the effort requires a representative and a senator to carry out.

Dozens of House Republicans have said they would join Brooks’s efforts, including prominent members such as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). A group of senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also said they would object to the Electoral College results for key states if no emergency audit is held.

A lawmaker, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), said he believes that upwards of 100 GOP House representatives will partake in the effort, while one anonymously sourced report puts that number at over 140.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) previously urged Republicans in the Senate not to challenge the votes, while his No. 2, Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), said the challenge will fail.