Sen. Sasse calls effort to overturn electoral college vote a ‘dangerous ploy’
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., on Thursday called the effort in Congress to reverse President- elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory a “dangerous ploy,” underscoring the challenge President Donald Trump faces in persuading even members of his own party to join it.
In an open letter to constituents, Sasse wrote that there is no evidence of fraud so widespread that it could change the results and said he has urged his colleagues to reject “a project to overturn the election.”
“All the clever arguments and rhetorical gymnastics in the world won’t change the fact that this January 6th effort is designed to disenfranchise millions of Americans simply because they voted for someone in a different party,” Sasse wrote on Facebook. “We ought to be better than that.”
His letter followed Wednesday’s announcement by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that he will object next week when Congress convenes to certify the electoral college vote, a move that will force a contentious floor debate that top Senate Republicans had hoped to avoid.
Trump has repeatedly and falsely suggested that the ceremonial milestone offers a last- ditch way to reverse the election results and is urging Republicans to join his bid.
As he pursues his strategy, Trump plans to return earlier than scheduled to the White House on Thursday from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he has been spending the holidays.
Sasse has been far more willing to criticize Trump than most of his GOP colleagues, but even so, his staunch opposition highlights the nearly certain futility of the president’s efforts to hang onto power.
To succeed, Trump would not only have to prevail in the Republican- led Senate but also in the House, which is controlled by Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other leading Republicans had discouraged their members from challenging the electoral college vote, conceding that the move would fail but could drag out the process through lengthy debate and, ultimately, force theirmembers to take an awkward vote.
Several House Republicans have said they plan to object to certifying the electoral college votes of some states Biden won, and Hawley became the first senator to commit to signing on to the effort.