“On behalf of my constituents in Tennessee’s 7th District who sent me to Washington to be their voice, I will be supportive of an objection on January 6.” – Tennessee Republican Congressman Mark Green
The Center Square [By Vivian Jones]-
Tennessee Republican Congressman Mark Green said Wednesday he will support an effort to block congressional certification of Electoral College results when they are delivered to Congress next week.
“On behalf of my constituents in Tennessee’s 7th District who sent me to Washington to be their voice, I will be supportive of an objection on January 6,” Green said in a statement.
Electors in all 50 states cast electoral votes in the presidential election earlier this month, resulting in a win of 306-232 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden. President Donald Trump has launched numerous unsuccessful legal challenges attempting to overturn election results.
Trump won Tennessee by 23 percentage points, and Tennessee’s electors met Dec. 14 to cast the state’s 11 electoral votes for the president.
Congress is scheduled to certify the results of the Electoral College when it reconvenes Jan. 6. According to the Congressional Research Service, Congress may consider objections to the results from any state if a written objection is submitted and signed by at least one member from the House and Senate. Both chambers then would be required to convene separately to consider the objection.
Alabama Republican U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks has said he plans to submit an objection to the election results, and Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Wednesday he plans to object during the certification process.
Republicans in Tennessee’s congressional delegation have been supportive of the president’s election challenges. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Senator-elect Bill Hagerty contributed to Trump’s legal fund in recent weeks.
Green is the only Tennessee Republican to join objections to the results of the Electoral College. Green released a statement Wednesday afternoon that said he will support the objection effort in order to give “the American people confidence in our election system.”
“While I do share serious concerns about Congress’ Constitutional role in our federalist system of government, if nothing was out of line, what reason do we have to oppose such a motion, so the entire nation can see the evidence presented clearly and make a determination on their own?” said Green, who did not specify what evidence would be presented during the objection process.
“I tried to sound the alarms for nearly a year in House Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee hearings that the increase in mail-in balloting and last-minute changes to election laws could lead to confusion, fraud, and distrust,” Green said. “Sadly, those warnings were not heeded.”
