Pressure Mounts Against Democrat Efforts to Overturn Certified Iowa Congressional Election
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) is joined by Iowa Republicans, another editorial board, and defecting Democrats all opposing Rita Hart and Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s partisan efforts to overturn a state-certified election in the House instead of in Iowa Courts.
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said, “We cannot let this happen. We cannot federalize our elections, and if it can happen in Iowa, it can happen in any other state of this country,” when talking about the Second Congressional District.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on #IA02 challenge: "We cannot let this happen. We cannot federalize our elections, and if it can happen in Iowa, it can happen in any other state of this country."
— Kendall Karson (@kendallkarson) March 25, 2021
Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann said recently when talking about the election, “talking about legality, we’re talking about morality here,” said Kaufmann, who voted for Miller-Meeks in November. “Nancy Pelosi and Cindy Axne should not trump my vote.”
Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann says they aren't "talking about legality, we're talking about morality here." Kaufmann, who voted in the 2nd district for Mariannette Miller-Meeks, says "Nancy Pelosi and Cindy Axne should not trump my vote." https://t.co/Kd5q2HrvKI
— Kendall Karson (@kendallkarson) March 25, 2021
Fox News Channel’s Chad Pergram reported on the House’s efforts to overturn the election, showing a clip of a Karen Kedrowski, Iowa State Professor.
The professor said:
Of course it’s risky, the Republicans are already ginning up, and you know the National Republicans are already ginning up ads and raising money on this to targaet any mordern Democrats in swing districts that might vote to unseat Ms. Miller-Meeks.
.@ChadPergram reports on #IA02: “Democrats could be playing with fire.” pic.twitter.com/Onl71eLyZt
— Mike Berg (@MikeKBerg) March 25, 2021
The Los Angeles Times joined other editorial boards nationwide on Thursday to condemn Pelosi and Hart’s attempts to overturn Iowa’s Second Congressional District.
“Tempted as they may be by the prospect of padding their slim majority, House Democrats should reject her request,” the editorial board wrote. “Overturning the result of an election their party lost would invite inevitable accusations of hypocrisy.” The board called out Democrats for hypocrisy after they called on Republicans to stop trying to overturn the Presidential race.
The editorial board wrote:
The result in the race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District was breathtakingly close. The final tally was 196,964 for Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and 196,958 for Democrat Rita Hart.
Miller-Meeks has taken the oath of office, but Hart has refused to concede, claiming that 22 votes in her favor weren’t counted. A filing by her lawyer with the House Administration Committee, citing a 1985 precedent, argues that in determining who should occupy the seat, the House committee “is certainly not bound to” follow state law. Notably, Hart didn’t challenge the outcome in state court.
Similar accusations can be expected if the House votes to replace Miller-Meeks with Hart. Never mind that 139 House Republicans voted to disregard the state-certified results in at least one state won by Biden and toss out those electoral votes, a far worse attack on democracy.
Numerous house Democrats have come out against the plan. Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips (NM) said:
Losing a House election by six votes is painful for Democrats. But overturning it in the House would be even more painful for America. Just because a majority can, does not mean a majority should. https://t.co/pXaOYBIMue
— Rep. Dean Phillips (@RepDeanPhillips) March 22, 2021
The Los Angeles Times editorial board also supports Philips’ decision not to abuse the power of the majority. “Phillips is right. Unless an investigation produces incontestable evidence that Hart actually won the election, accept defeat graciously and prepare for the next election,” they said.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who chairs the Committee on House Administration, released a statement Wednesday.
“The House has an obligation under Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution to determine its own members. This means the House is obligated to ensure the will of the people, through their votes, is reflected in the final composition of the House,” Lofgren said.
The Chairwoman continued:
We did not seek out these contests, but we are obligated under federal law to follow the process and the facts.
Republicans know how this process works – over the past 90 years the Congress has adjudicated, in a bipartisan manner, more than a hundred contested elections cases filed by Republicans and Democrats alike in races nowhere near as close as Iowa’s Second.
…
The Committee on House Administration has not made any decision about the outcome of the contest. We will continue to follow the process outlined by law. Decisions will be made based only upon the law and the facts.
NEW statement from Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chair of the House Admin Committee that is overseeing Dems' challenge in IA-02
She defends the process and hits back at Rs: "We did not seek out these contests, but we are obligated under federal law to follow the process and the facts" pic.twitter.com/GZZiu1Ef9n
— Sam Brodey (@sambrodey) March 24, 2021
