Washington, DC—The right-wing domestic terrorists who violently stormed the United States Capitol and prematurely ended the certification of the election results today were spurred on by Republican Congresspeople and Senators who betrayed the will of the people and our votes. Today’s violent attempted coup was seeded and fueled by opportunistic conspiracy theorists who unfortunately hold positions of power: from President Donald Trump to Virginia Congressmen Bob Good, Rob Wittman, Ben Cline, and Morgan Griffith. Their words and actions have disgraced their offices and our nation. They cannot continue to hold office.
“Free and fair elections are one of the bedrocks of our society. The American people decided, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as President and Vice President on January 20. Spreading wild and opportunistic conspiracy theories while attempting to obstruct certification of the election results will not change that outcome but it does weaken our faith in democracy and erode confidence in the institutions we hold dear,” Anna Scholl, executive director of Progress Virginia, said. “The actions of Congressmen Rep. Bob Good, Rep. Rob Wittman, Rep. Ben Cline, and Rep. Morgan Griffith, and President Donald Trump lit the match of today’s violent and traitorous insurrection. Their behavior and violations of the very tenets of our democracy mean they can no longer hold public office. They must resign immediately or be removed for fueling violence and abdicating their duty to oversee a peaceful transition of power.”
Background:
- Fueled by the objections of Republican Senators and Congresspeople, a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol today in an attempted coup.
- 140 members of the U.S. House and a dozen Senators said they would object to the certification of the election results.
- The final electoral tally was 306 for Biden and 232 for Trump.
- 270 electoral votes were needed to declare a winner in the 2020 Presidential Election.
- President-Elect Joe Biden won the popular vote by more than seven million votes.
- The formal counting of the Electoral College ballots is typically a pro forma event.
- Vice President Pence does not have the power to reject chosen electors.