Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) issued the following statement following Congress’s certification of the Electoral College Results for the 2020 Presidential election:

"Today’s events in Washington were an unacceptable display of violence that runs counter to everything we stand for as a country. There is no excuse for reasonable debate and discourse to be replaced by destruction and chaos. Regardless of whether it’s in the halls of Congress or in our communities, we must return to a place where we can engage one another with respect, regardless of our political views.

“Article 2 of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of Congress and the states when certifying the results of the Electoral College. Simply put, Congress does not have the authority to discard an individual slate of electors certified by a state’s legislature in accordance with their constitution. Doing so sets a precedent that I believe undermines the state-based system of elections that defines our Republic. If there are competing slates of electors sent to Congress by a state’s legislature, precedent allows Congress to be the arbiter between the two slates, however no state has done this so far in this election.

“Millions of Americans do not trust the results of this election. As someone who understands firsthand what is it like to face a contested election, I fully support the investigation into allegations of voter fraud and abuse. I also share the concerns of the many who have unanswered questions about the constitutional nature of the changes made to the election systems in several states. However, the fact of the matter remains: the courts are responsible for answering these questions and the state legislatures must act to send competing slates of electors if Congress is going to do anything beyond its constitutionally prescribed duty to certify electors.”

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