Sen. Amy Klobuchar on the presidential certification circus

Axios Re:Cap

Axios

Daily News, News

4.5 • 705 Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2021

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Congress on Wednesday will be asked to certify state electors, thus setting the stage for Joe Biden's inauguration as the country's 46th president on Jan. 20. But, like so many things in the Trump era, it won't be business as usual, as large groups of House and Senate Republicans say they will object to electors from at least four states. Dan discusses the process and the precedent with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee who will lead her party's response to objections on the Senate floor. Plus, Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein joins to discuss Georgia's senate runoff elections.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Dan Pramak and welcome to Axios Recap, presented by Walmart.
0:07.0	Today's Tuesday, January 5th.
0:09.5	The price of Bitcoin is up, Macy's is shutting down 45 stores,
0:14.8	and we're focused on the presidential election circus.
0:20.4	Tomorrow, both houses of Congress will be asked to certify the presidential electors election circus.
0:20.8	Tomorrow, both Houses of Congress will be asked to certify the presidential electors
0:24.9	from all 50 states, thus formally ensuring that Joe Biden will become the country's 46th
0:30.1	president on inauguration day.
0:32.4	But like so many things in the Trump era, this isn't going to be a typical process,
0:37.0	in which envelopes are opened,
0:38.4	almost everybody says I, and then they all go home. Instead, at least 11 Republican senators
0:43.8	and upwards of 140 GOP House members plan to support objections to elect your certifications
0:50.5	from at least four states, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
0:55.7	Additional challenges related to other states are also possible, and President Trump is urging
1:00.9	on this process, going so far as to tweet today that, quote, the vice president has the power
1:06.4	to reject fraudulently chosen electors, end quote. Now, to be clear, Vice President Pence does not have that authority, even though he has
1:14.9	this largely ceremonial role of overseeing the process.
1:18.2	The bottom line is that Joe Biden's victory will be certified, whether you think it should be
1:22.8	or not.
1:23.3	The numbers are the numbers.
1:24.9	No Democrat has expressed any interest in straying, and plenty of Republicans believe that
1:29.9	the American people spoke clearly and legally on November 3rd.
	...

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