WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement ahead of today’s joint session of Congress:
“The Constitution requires that states carry out elections according to the rules established by state legislatures. In a number of states, that did not happen. We cannot turn a blind eye to states selectively choosing which election laws to follow. Our Founding Fathers gave Congress a critical role to play in certifying the election results and in order to restore confidence in our electoral system, we must stand up for the rule of law.
“A few weeks ago I joined many of my colleagues in petitioning the United States Supreme Court to settle these valid concerns. With the Supreme Court declining to issue a ruling on these matters of law, these questions remain unresolved. The only remaining recourse, as laid out in the Constitution, is through Congressional action.
“For these reasons, I will vote in favor of objections to the certification of electoral votes from certain states where there have been serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process. It is my sincere hope that the debates that take place later today will be the first step in the necessary process of election reform. Every American deserves to have complete confidence that our elections are free, fair, and secure.”