A Colorado Democrat in Congress will defend America’s electoral system on the floor of the U.S. House on Wednesday afternoon as two of the state’s three Republican representatives\u00a0formally object to President-elect Joe Biden‘s electoral victory.<\/p>\n
Congress will convene at 11 a.m. Colorado time to certify Biden’s November victory over President Donald Trump. What in past years has been a staid, ceremonial event will this year be a hotbed of partisan debate as Trump’s supporters claim, without evidence, that the presidential election was rife with fraud.<\/p>\n
Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert, of Rifle, and Doug Lamborn, of Colorado Springs, say they will object to the certification of the election in the several swing states that gave Biden a victory over the president. Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican, will not object, believing Congress should not play a role.<\/p>\n
On Twitter Wednesday morning, Boebert wrote bluntly that “Today is 1776,” a reference to the revolution that created the United States of America.<\/p>\n
“Taking this action today will not undermine our beleaguered institutions, as some critics charge, but rather reinforce and defend them,” Lamborn said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Vice President Mike Pence will preside over Wednesday’s certification. He will read aloud the Electoral College results from each state. When at least one senator and one House member object to a state’s results, the Senate and House will separate and debate the matter for two hours before voting on whether to certify.<\/p>\n
When the House gathers, Rep. Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, will be one of several speakers making the case for certification. He and three others will present “the constitutional, historical and thematic justification for respecting the will of the people,\u201d Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n
No Democratic members of Congress, from Colorado or elsewhere, will object to certification of the election. Biden won the Electoral College 306 to 232 and will be inaugurated Jan. 20.<\/p>\n
“Every member of Congress has a choice,” Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat, said on social media Wednesday morning. “They can act with integrity. They can honor their oath to the Constitution and reject corruption. Or, they can enable Donald Trump, a wannabe king, who has no respect for our democracy or the will of the people. I know where I stand.”<\/p>\n