After US Capitol breach, some SC Republicans doubled down on objections to Biden win
U.S. Congressmen voted Wednesday to confirm the Electoral College win of President-elect Joe Biden after pro-Trump protests boiled over to a riot, sending a mob inside of the Capitol building.
Five members of South Carolina’s delegation voted in favor of objections to Biden’s win, still citing unproven allegations of massive voter fraud that swayed the election win away from President Donald Trump, allegations that fed the riot at the Capitol building.
As expected, U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, Jeff Duncan, William Timmons and Ralph Norman all voiced support after Republicans raised their objections to the election results. All four announced their opposition to the Biden win certification over the last week.
They were joined by U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, R-Myrtle Beach, who announced Monday he wouldn’t make his decision on how to vote until Wednesday afternoon.
South Carolina Republicans’ plans to object drew criticism from state Democratic officials.
“These Republican members of Congress claim to love our country and democracy yet they are attempting a coup to overthrow our government,” S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson said in a statement ahead of the vote. “This is the complete antithesis of Democracy and they should be arrested and tried for treason absence proof to support their fraudulent claims.”
Their vote in favor of the objections come as many members of Congress who initially vowed to object changed their minds following the Capitol building riot.
Opposing the objections were U.S. Reps. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, and Nancy Mace, R-Daniel Island. In the Senate, South Carolina Republicans Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham voted against objections as well.
Congress met Wednesday at 1 p.m. to certify the election results. In the week before, more than 100 Republican congressmen vowed to object to the certification, among them several members of South Carolina’s delegation.
Most objections were due to concerns over allegations of massive voter fraud in battleground states which swung the election in Biden’s favor. No proof of such voter fraud has surfaced, multiple court challenges from the president and his allies have been shot down and an investigation by Trump’s own Justice Department turned up empty handed.
The objections triggered hours of debate Wednesday and a vote in both the House and Senate. Republican leaders were initially hoping to avoid such a vote, as it would force GOP members to publicly sound off on whether they believe the unproven allegations of voter fraud.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continued his vocal opposition to the objections on the Senate floor early Wednesday afternoon.
“The voters, the courts and the states have all spoken. They’ve all spoken. If we overrule them it would damage our republic forever,” McConnell said.
Interrupted debate
As Republicans and Democrats clashed inside of the Capitol building, police and pro-Trump rioters battled outside. Capitol Police evacuated staff from several Capitol complex buildings.
Among those in the first round of evacuations was Mace, who posted a video of the scene on the complex on Twitter. In the video, several rioters, some carrying pro-Trump flags, pushed against the shields of Capitol Police.
“This is wrong,” the Daniel Island Republican tweeted. “This is not who we are. I’m heartbroken for our nation today.”
The riot caused both the House and the Senate to take a recess shortly after 2 p.m. Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated from the Senate chamber, and Capitol police later followed by evacuating the rest of the members of Congress. All members from South Carolina’s delegation were safely evacuated.
Rioters breached the Capitol building, ransacking the House and Senate chambers and several offices. One person was shot.
Capitol police worked through the afternoon to reclaim the Capitol building, using tear gas and flash bangs. Even as police were still battling rioters, lawmakers vowed to return to finish business.
“I have faced violent hatred before,” U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, tweeted. “I was not deterred then, and I will not be deterred now. Tonight, Congress will continue the business of certifying the electoral college votes.”
By about 6 p.m., Capitol police declared the building “secure.”
At about 8 p.m., the Senate returned to session, with leadership striking a defiant and resilient tone as they continued with their interrupted business.
“We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms,” Vice President Mike Pence said on the Senate floor. “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today: you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the people’s house.”
The House returned at about 9 p.m.
A late night at the Capitol
South Carolina’s Graham, R-Seneca, spoke on the Senate floor at about 10 p.m. against his fellow Republican’s objections to the certification of the Biden win. Graham said though he wanted Trump to win, he accepted the rulings of several courts that elections were properly conducted even though he didn’t agree with the court decisions.
“All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough. I tried to be helpful,” Graham, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters said on the Senate floor.
“Enough’s enough. It’s time to end it,” he later added.
The Senate ultimately overwhelmingly voted down an objection to certifying Arizona’s results by a vote of 93-6, with fewer Republicans supporting the objection than initially estimated Wednesday morning. Both Scott and Graham voted against the objection.
While the Senate became more united on the issue after the Capitol riot, the House remained deeply divided with more than 100 representatives siding with objectors.
Though four Representatives from South Carolina vowed in the last week to support objections, none took the podium to speak during the first two-hour House debate Wednesday night. Neither did Rice.
While House leadership kicked off the late-night debate with a softer, bipartisan tone, other Republicans continued to repeat unproven allegations of voter fraud, including Alabama Representative Mo Brooks, who alleged, without evidence that Democrats benefited from votes by undocumented immigrants.
The House began voting on the objections at about 10:30 p.m., dividing lawmakers into small groups to promote social distancing.
Ultimately, the body voted down the objection 303-121. All those in favor of the objection were Republicans, though 82 Republicans sided with Democrats.
When the joint session of Congress resumed and Pence continued the process of certifying electoral college votes, Republicans successfully triggered a second debate into the results of Pennsylvania’s election around midnight.
The Senate voted 92-7 to reject the objection, with Scott and Graham again voting against it.
While the Senate moved quickly to a vote in the early morning hours Thursday, the House held yet another hours-long debate.
Duncan, R-Laurens, alleged on the floor at about 1:15 a.m. that Pennsylvania Supreme Court officials used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to “circumvent” election laws by extending the days that mail-in ballots could be received, causing thousands of votes to be “illegally” cast after election day.
“What bothers me is that so many of you are OK with that,” Duncan said.
“We didn’t swear an oath to play politics,” Duncan added. “We swore an oath to the United States Constitution.”
The House ultimately voted down the objections 282-138.
How did South Carolina’s congressional delegation vote?
Five members voted in support of objections raised to the electoral college results, meaning they effectively wanted to challenge the election results from that state. Four members voted against the objections.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Seneca: Against objections
Sen. Tim Scott, R-North Charleston: Against objections
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Daniel Island: Against objections
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Springdale: In favor of objections
Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens: In favor of objections
Rep. William Timmons, R-Greenville: In favor of objections
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill: In favor of objections
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia: Against objections
Rep. Tom Rice, R-Myrtle Beach: In favor of objections
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "After US Capitol breach, some SC Republicans doubled down on objections to Biden win."
