Jan 6 hearing: GOP senator says Raskin has side-motive to 'abolish' electoral college
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah., joins 'Hannity' Thursday to respond to the Maryland Democratic congressman's desire to remove 'fundamental' piece of American democracy.
A member of the Jan. 6 Committee is under fire from Republicans for reportedly seeking to utilize the hearings to promote the end of the Electoral College.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., reportedly divided some members on the committee, arguing that the Electoral College should be abolished to protect federal elections — therefore tabulated by national popular vote — from being purportedly subverted by people like former President Donald Trump, according to Axios.
In recent comments to the Washington Post, the Democrat called the Electoral College "an undemocratic relic" akin to the way state legislatures — rather than voters directly — elected U.S. senators in the early days of the republic.
Committee vice chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., reportedly opposes the notion, saying endeavors to abolish the Electoral College would demolish the committee's credibility.
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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told Fox News on Thursday that Raskin's motive is an affront to American governance.
"He wants to eliminate the Electoral College, which is about as fundamental to our system of government as it comes," he told "Hannity." "There's no way around this."
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Rep. Liz Cheney gives her opening remarks at the Capitol, Thursday, June 9, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
"The U.S. Constitution has fostered the development of the greatest civilization the world has ever known. For reasons that escape, astound and dismay me, the modern Democratic Party wants to throw it under the bus."
Raskin's endeavor, Lee said, is also just the latest in a line of left-wing behaviors undermining the Constitution and rule of law, pointing to intimidation tactics against Supreme Court justices and calls from Democratic lawmakers, like Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York, to undemocratically "pack" the Supreme Court.
"All these efforts to denigrate the Constitution and our system, you can draw a consistent thread between the statements of Jamie Raskin, the efforts to protest outside Supreme Court justices homes, efforts to assassinate Supreme Court justices" and more, he said.
"It's counter to everything we believe in about constitutional government."