Congressman Moore Statement on Electoral College Certification Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Blake Moore issued the following statement regarding the electoral college certification vote.
“This week, I was thrilled to be sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives and join my colleagues as we seek to protect and defend the Constitution. But I was greatly saddened and troubled by the assault on the United States Capitol yesterday, and I urge the American people to unite and help usher in a peaceful transfer of power. Violence and intimidation against the Legislative Branch are unacceptable and un-American.
It is clear to me that each and every one of my Republican colleagues is firmly committed to election integrity. Our union functions and thrives because the people’s votes are fairly counted, and we were dismayed by reports of fraudulent activity during the 2020 presidential election. Every abuse must be thoroughly investigated, and I will support legislation to safeguard our elections so that all Americans can trust the security of our democracy.
I voted for President Trump, and I had looked forward to serving alongside his Administration. I believe his policies would have been the best path toward rebuilding our economy in the wake of the pandemic. A majority of Utahns wish the election would have gone his way. However, I could not in good conscience endorse federal intervention in state-certified elections. It is up to states to implement their own laws and cast their own electoral votes, and it is up to the judiciary to determine if the states acted constitutionally in changing their election systems. As I stated in August, I have been concerned that many states rushed to implement mail-in balloting systems during the pandemic. It took Utah several years to ensure we had a secure and efficient election process to address the integrity of mail-in ballots. I welcome each member of the House to visit and engage with election officials across my state as our nation seeks to continually secure our elections moving forward.
My interpretation is that the Constitution states Congress’s duty is to count electoral votes sent by the states. I believe that the Constitution does not give Congress the right to disenfranchise the states and thereby overthrow the electoral college—a long-time goal of Democrats. In fact, it is the electoral college, this very same system, that has elected many Republican Presidents, including in 2016. And I trust that our Constitutional Republic will continue to benefit from the electoral college in the future.
Our determination to abide by the Constitution no matter the outcome is what makes us strong; and respecting the balance of power in our system of government will ultimately reward us. Adherence to our founding document and our commitment to aspirational, pro-growth, and inclusive policies are the reasons we won so many House seats in 2020 and it is how we will take back the majority in 2022.
I could not in principle object or vote to agree to the objection, but I promise that I will fight for every American’s voice to be heard and every voter to have trust in our system.”
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