Tag: biden certification
Rep. Jim Jordan

Jordan Should Be Called As Jan. 6 Witness — And Here’s What Panel Should Ask Him

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was clearly pandering to the Republican Party's lowest common denominator when he picked Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as one of the five Republicans he wanted to serve on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's select committee on the January insurrection — a pick that Pelosi flatly rejected, inspiring McCarthy to angrily respond that if Pelosi wouldn't accept all of his picks, she couldn't have any of them. But Pelosi made a wise decision, given how aggressively Jordan promoted the Big Lie and former President Donald Trump's bogus elect fraud claims. And author Sidney Blumenthal, in an op-ed published by The Guardian on July 27, lists some things that Jordan might be asked if he testifies before Pelosi's committee.

Blumenthal is a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

One right-wing Republican who Pelosi herself picked for the committee is Rep. Liz Cheney, who wholeheartedly agrees with Pelosi's decision to keep Jordan off her January 6 committee. Cheney has said that Jordan should be kept off the committee because he "may well be a material witness to events that led to that day, that led to January 6."

On October 20, Jordan tweeted, "Democrats are trying to steal the election, before the election." In light of that tweet, Blumenthal writes, the committee could ask: "What does Jordan know about the creation of the 'stop the steal' myth? Were his statements about a fraudulent election and attacking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for its role in 'stealing the election' made in coordination with anyone at the White House or known to them in advance? If he got marching orders, where did he get them from?"

A few days after the 2020 presidential election, Jordan promoted the Big Lie at a "Stop the Steal" rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that was organized by Scott Presler, a former field director for the Virginia Republican Party. And Pelosi's committee, according to Blumenthal, could ask: "Who funded the Harrisburg rally? What is Jordan's relationship to Scott Presler? What are the communications between Jordan, his staff and Presler?"

On January 11, the day the U.S. House of Representatives impeached Trump for incitement to insurrection, Trump gave Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And Pelosi's committee, Blumenthal writes, should ask: "What conversations did Jordan have at the ceremony with Trump or others about overturning the election and how to defend Trump?"

On December 4, Jordan tweeted, "Over 50 million Americans think this election was stolen." And in light of how much Jordan promoted the Big Lie that month, Blumenthal writes, Pelosi's committee should ask: "Did Jordan coordinate his statements with Trump, the White House staff, other Republican House members, or Trump's legal team led by Rudy Giuliani?"

On December 21, according to Politico, Jordan privately met with Trump and other Republicans in the hope of finding ways "to overturn the election results." And according to Blumenthal, Pelosi's committee should ask: "What was said at that meeting? What were those plans? Was the rally discussed? Was the idea discussed of sending Trump supporters to intimidate and interrupt members of Congress in the certification process? Was Jordan's role on the House floor on 6 January against certification raised at that meeting? What did Jordan say?"

The committee, Blumenthal writes, should also ask: "Did Jordan broadcast falsehoods in order to encourage Trump supporters to come to Washington on 6 January?"

In a January 12 hearing, Jordan claimed, "I never once said that this thing was stolen." And the committee, according to Blumenthal, should ask: "Why, then, did he tweet that the election was being stolen before it had occurred, appear at a 'Stop the Steal' rally and claim that 'crazy things' had changed the vote in swing states in addition to many other statements?"

Congress Certifies Biden Victory --But Democrats Denounce GOP 'Co-Conspirators In Sedition'

Congress Certifies Biden Victory --But Democrats Denounce GOP 'Co-Conspirators In Sedition'

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

In the wake of an assault on the U.S. Capitol by a fascist mob ginned up by President Donald Trump, many Republicans in the House and Senate still voted Thursday to object to President-elect Joe Biden's decisive election win in a lie-fueled, last-ditch attempt to overturn the results of the democratic process and disenfranchise tens of millions of voters.

The effort ultimately failed as Congress voted in the early hours of Thursday morning to certify Biden's victory over the Republican objections, but progressive lawmakers are demanding accountability for the GOP members who were complicit in the Trump-led coup attempt.

"They are co-conspirators in sedition," Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) said of the Republican lawmakers who objected to the certification of Biden's win.

As Common Dreamsreported Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is planning to introduce a resolution calling for the expulsion of lawmakers who "incited this domestic terror attack through their attempts to overturn the election."

"They have broken their sacred Oath of Office," Bush added.

In a statement late Wednesday, Brian Kettering of the Center for Popular Democracy Action said in support of Bush's resolution that "Trump and members of Congress must face consequences for inciting an attempted coup to stop the peaceful transition of power, which is enshrined into our Constitution."

"We cannot stand by," said Kettering, "while the very people elected to protect our democracy encourage violent attempts to overthrow the government."

Below are the names of the Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate who voted in favor of rejecting electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania, battleground states that Biden carried.

The 121House Republicans who voted to reject Arizona's electoral votes:



The 138 House Republicans who voted to reject Pennsylvania's electoral votes:


The six Senate Republicans who voted to reject Arizona's electoral votes:



The seven Senate Republicans who voted to reject Pennsylvania's electoral votes: