Both chambers of Congress voted to override an objection to the results of the November election out of Arizona Wednesday, which was the first state to see a GOP protest against the 2020 results.
Only six senators voted to sustain the objection while 93 votes to overrule it.
The GOP senators who voted to sustain the objection were: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas.
The divide was much more stark in House, where 121 Republicans — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana — voted in favor of the challenge.
It was ultimately shot down with 303 votes, 83 of which were from Republicans.
The vote came after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol unlawfully on Wednesday, interrupting the joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 election.
Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, and Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, objected to the electoral votes of the swing state, where President-elect Joseph R. Biden defeated President Trump.
Mr. Trump has urged Republicans to object to the results in several states where he says election fraud occurred. It takes one member of the House and one member of the Senate to successfully protest a state’s electors, leading the chambers to debate the issue for up to two hours.
The lawmakers said they protested Arizona’s electors because “they were not under all of the known circumstances regularly given.”
After returning to the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the floor, saying Congress cannot overturn the will of the people and that there is no proof of massive election fraud that would tip the scales in favor of Mr. Trump.
The Kentucky Republican broke with the president, who has claimed widespread election fraud from massive mail-in voting caused him to lose to Mr. Biden.
Mr. McConnell said the president’s examples of fraud have been localized but some of the claims include “sweeping conspiracy theories.”
He noted he had supported dozens of the president’s lawsuits challenging the election and his ability to use the courts.
“But over and over, the courts rejected these claims, including all-star judges whom the president himself has nominated,” Mr. McConnell said.
In the House, Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalice, Louisiana Republican, said the states did not follow the constitutional process.
The objections have fractured the Republican Party, although political and legal experts predict the objections will fail.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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