The Senate will reconvene at 8 p.m. to continue certification process, per source.
Senate Republicans are hopeful they have convinced senators to remove their objections to allow the debate to be finished quickly on Wednesday night, according to a source familiar with the talks.
Asked what he wants to hear from Trump, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said: “I don’t want to hear anything.”
“It was a tragic day and I think he was part of it,” he said.
McConnell speaking now against Trump's efforts to overturn the election: "I supported the president's right to use the legal system"
"The courts rejected these claims"
"Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election. Nor can public doubt alone justify a radical break, when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence"
"The voters, the courts and the states have all spoken. They've all spoken. If we overrule them it would damage our republic forever. This election actually wasn't unusually close"
@marianne_levine Some of the latest rejections of this effort: Cramer, Hoeven and Inhofe
Inhofe says: "A violation of my oath of office — that is not something I am willing to do and is not something Oklahomans would want me to do"
@marianne_levine Meanwhile we are getting a sense for how this will play out. Cruz will object to Arizona, Hawley will object to Pennsylvania, Loeffler will object to Georgia and Marshall will object to all three. So that's a minimum three debates and votes tomorrow. House members may want more
McConnell actively sought to prevent his senators from challenging the election. Now that they are, he's not whipping anyone against it but has spoken to at least half the Senate GOP conference about the matter
@marianne_levine McConnell told senators on a recent conference call that “this is a very difficult decision for each one of you, you each have to make it yourselves,” recounted Sen. Cramer. “‘I've voted twice on declarations of war.’ And he said, ‘this is right up there.’"
@marianne_levine “He’s letting everybody reach their own conclusion here. That’s very much his leadership style on issues like this, is to not say much. I think he hopes we don’t have too many people vote to do this,” said one R senator
"I don't think he's enjoying it," deadpanned a second
Portman, up In ‘22, “swearing to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. I plan on honoring that oath by supporting the state certifications and the will of the people. I will vote to certify in accordance with my duty under the Constitution.”
Capito, just re-elected: “Our democracy permits enjoying electoral victories, but its survival requires accepting defeats. Despite a landslide victory in West Virginia, President Trump lost his re-election bid by a margin of 306-232 in the Electoral College.”
Hawley fundraising message this afternoon: "When I took my Oath of Office, I swore to not only uphold the Constitution, but also to serve YOU! By objecting on January 6th, I am maintaining my obligations as a United States Senator"