Lawmakers Who Backed Texas Lawsuit Should Be Barre...
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) has called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bar 126 GOP representatives from the House, arguing that their support for the failed, baseless Texas lawsuit seeking to hijack the presidential election violated the Constitution.
The Texas suit, supported by 17 other state attorneys general, was rejected Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court. President Donald Trump had attempted to join the self-serving suit, which sought to jettison votes in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, whose voters chose President-elect Joe Biden.
Pascrell accused the House members who signed an amicus brief supporting the action — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — of violating the Constitution by seeking to nullify Americans’ votes and instead choose a “dictator.” He cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, enacted after the Civil War and designed to keep traitors out of government.
The section prohibits anyone who had gone to war against the union or given aid and comfort to the nation’s enemies from running for federal or state office.
The Pennsylvania brief responding to the Texas lawsuit referred to its “seditious abuse of the judicial process.”
Pascrell said in a tweet accompanied by a statement on Friday: “Today I’m calling on House leaders to refuse to seat any Members trying to overturn the election and make Donald Trump an unelected dictator.”
The “text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States,” he tweeted. “Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that.”
Today I’m calling on House leaders to refuse to seat any Members trying to overturn the election and make donald trump an unelected dictator. pic.twitter.com/icTmGKCpuR
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 11, 2020
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was written after the Civil War to bar from government any traitors who would seek to destroy the Union.
My letter to House leadership today demands that 126 Republicans (and counting) are violating the Constitution. pic.twitter.com/4ti0OU1kpP
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 11, 2020
The text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that. pic.twitter.com/VMnDfd0sFx
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 11, 2020
Pascrell was quoted in his statement as saying: “Stated simply, the men and women who would act to tear the United States Government apart cannot serve as Members of the Congress.”
Pelosi’s office didn’t comment on Pascrell’s request. But in a letter to colleagues Friday evening, the California Democrat said Republicans are “subverting the Constitution by their reckless and fruitless assault on our democracy.”
Trump has refused to concede the election and continues to repeat baseless claims of election fraud. Dozens of court cases by his campaign and supporters have failed in court.
Pascrell’s call to block lawmakers who backed the latest suit triggered a show of support on Twitter.
I SERIOUSLY agree! Let's redo THEIR 126 races too!
The next DOJ needs to prosecute #DictatorTrump & #ReThuglican co-conspirators for #Sedition
Sedition is defined in 18 USC§2384 as “ two or more persons in any State” conspiring, by force, to “delay the execution of any law.'
— Jonathan Greenberg (@JournalistJG) December 11, 2020
This seems to be the only remedy that will have any teeth. As of right now, Republicans are so deluded in falsehoods, brimming with such animosity at loss, that they'd entertain overturning this election.
ENOUGH OF THE GAMES. Make them pay for this travesty. Society is dying. pic.twitter.com/g6YkT8HL0g— 🌐 Agent K ➖🕵️♂️ 🔎 👁️ 💬 📡 ⏱️ 🎯 ⚖️ ➖ 🌊 (@gary_kline) December 11, 2020
Every Real American should support Bill Pascrell’s request to House Leaders to refuse to seat any House Representative trying to overturn the election, in accordance with Section 3 of the 14th Amendment! We need to end the attempted Coup & destruction of our democracy! pic.twitter.com/KQdvxtP312
— WHSCI (@WHSCI) December 11, 2020
There is a logical corollary here: How does Congress seat Republicans who themselves claim by inference that their own elections in the swing states were illegitimate?
— Peter Vroom 📫🌊 (@PeterVroom1) December 11, 2020
A ballot cannot be BOTH illegitimate at the top AND legitimate at the bottom. How do the Repugnicans plan to square that circle?
— KatrinkaC (@katriotic) December 11, 2020
The dems need to do something. Im not a lawyer so I cant say how or what they could do but that is blatantly sticking their middle fingers in their constituents faces for their own benefit. This shit needs to stop.
— Tired In AZ 🌊🌊🌊🌊#resist (@TiredAz) December 11, 2020
It's good to see New Jersey isn't playing.
Respect.
— ChicaLoca (@HaschVivian) December 11, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.