Joyce Issues Statement on Jan. 6th Joint Session of Congress

Statement

Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) issued the following statement on today's joint session of Congress:

"As an elected official, I swore an oath to God to uphold the Constitution. I consider that oath both a great honor and a great responsibility. No amount of political threats will bully me into violating it. Therefore, I will abide by that oath today by certifying Ohio's electoral votes when they are counted for President Trump and respecting the will of the people in each of the other 49 states by not objecting when their electoral votes are counted.

"In the last two presidential elections, I cast my ballot for Donald Trump. I believe his policies to be better than those of his Democratic opponents, not only for Ohio but for our entire country. Under his leadership, our nation saw record-low unemployment, reduced burdensome government regulations, reformed our nation's outdated tax code, brought our trade policies into the modern age, and prioritized the American worker.

"Like millions of my fellow Buckeyes, I was disappointed in the 2020 election results and supported recounts in contested states as well as the President's legal right to address reported irregularities in court. Unfortunately, my support for those efforts does not change the fact that over the last two months, not a single state recount changed its results and no court - including those of Republican judges appointed by the President - determined it had been presented with any evidence to sustain any of the dozens of lawsuits alleging widespread fraud.

"Americans deserve to have confidence in the free and fair election process that defines our democracy. They also deserve a government that fights to preserve the source of our freedoms: the Constitution.

"Should the issue of election integrity be examined by Congress? Absolutely. I strongly believe - not only as a lawmaker but also as a voting citizen - that any reports of violations of state or federal election laws must be investigated and those found to have committed related crimes need to be prosecuted. But should Congress override the Constitution and supersede the authority given to the states by our Founding Fathers? Absolutely not.

"It is also worth noting that just the other day, all of us in Congress were sworn in and accepted our own election results, including every single Representative from the states where results are being contested…Representatives who were elected under the same process they are now objecting to.

"Last month, as established by the Constitution, the Electoral College formally cast their votes for the 46th President of the United States, certifying Joe Biden as President-elect with 306 votes. I wish the outcome had been different and will continue to push for the scrutinization of the varying election methods implemented across the country this past November so that we can restore Americans' faith in the integrity of our democratic process. However, I refuse to be a part of the toxic "not my president" culture that tirelessly attempted to undermine President Trump throughout the past four years at the expense of the American people.

"The states, not Congress, were entrusted with our elections. The people, not Congress, were entrusted with choosing our leaders. The courts, not Congress, were entrusted with resolving any election disputes. These are not arbitrary statements. They are the essence of our nation's founding document, which makes clear states have the primary role in administering federal elections. To act outside of that authority would be to unconstitutionally insert Congress into the center of the presidential election process, which would not only delegitimize the Electoral College, but also steal power from the people and the states."

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