WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 5, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Rep. John Curtis (R-3rd District) on Tuesday announced he will not object to the Electoral College’s declaration of Joe Biden as the winner of the presidency based on the vote count.
Utah Reps. Burgess Owens (R-4th District) and Chris Stewart (R-2nd District) have each declared they will join a group of lawmakers planning to object to the certification on Wednesday of Biden (306 electoral votes) over Pres. Donald Trump (232 electoral votes). Utah Rep. Blake Moore, incoming as is Owen, has not commented on his plans.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Junior Senator) condemned lawmakers involved in the movement to reject the Electoral College certification of Biden, calling the move an “egregious political ploy” designed to advance their political careers, regardless of the impact on the American electorate.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R-Senior Senator) a staunch Trump supporter, has declined to reject the Electoral College certification, according to The Washington Post, which reported “In a letter to senators, Lee wrote, ‘with respect to presidential elections, there is no authority for Congress to make value judgments in the abstract regarding any state’s election laws or the manner in which they have been implemented.'”
At a recent rally, Trump noted his displeasure with Lee. Trump acknowledged Lee’s presence, but said, “I’m a little angry at him today.”
Curtis statement
Curtis’ statement shared his reasoning for not rejecting the Electoral College results. Read his full statement below:
“On January 6, Congress will fulfill its Constitutional mandate to certify the Electoral College results and finalize the presidential election. In recognition of my responsibility in this process, I have studied my role and it is clear to me that I have a duty to speak on behalf of the election process in Utah and listen to any objection raised by my fellow lawmakers concerning their state. I have seen no evidence of wrongdoing within Utah and have no plans to object to Utah’s Electoral College certificates. In fact, as I have watched the election process in Utah, I see within it a model for other states across the country.
“Federalism is a core principle of our country and an important piece of that is respecting each state’s election procedures and outcomes. The Constitution grants Congress the specific authority to count electoral votes, not debate the merits of each state’s election laws or the validity of the electors they choose to send—to do so would be to federalize the election process, taking fundamental rights away from states. I have consistently opposed when Democrats have made such attempts and I will not use one standard for my party and a different one for the other. Therefore, I plan to respect each state’s decision, certify the election, and continue to work with my colleagues on solutions for Utahns.
“As I have said many times before: I have faith in America’s election system and those who work tirelessly to ensure our elections are secure. That’s not to say there isn’t work to do. Americans deserve an election process that leaves no question of integrity and I am committed to supporting our state leaders and working with my colleagues to ensure election security, without further federalizing our elections.”
