NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Rep Clay Higgins (R-La.) says he will object to the certification of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.
The congressional count is the final step in reaffirming President-Elect Joe Biden’s win, after the Electoral College officially elected him on Dec. 14.
Higgins joined fellow republicans echoing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of fraud and saying they will object to the results. The objection will force votes in the Republican-run Senate and Democratic-controlled House that will almost certainly fail.
A group of House Republicans had been looking for a senator to sign on because there must be support from at least one member of each chamber to force the votes. That support came Wednesday from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a possible contender in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
Hawley's challenge comes despite a plea from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that Republican senators not join the futile House effort. McConnell told his caucus on a private call earlier this month that it would be a “terrible vote” for Senate Republicans to have to take.
For weeks since the election, Higgins has made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud. Earlier this month he compared the Supreme Court's rejection of a lawsuit meant to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election to another court ruling upholding Japanese internment camps during World War II.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.