Rand Paul: To imply that I supported arguments to overturn the election is a lie
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A recent opinion piece claims I somehow let down democracy on Jan. 6th. The truth is, on Jan. 6th, I rose from my desk in the U.S. Senate and spoke these words:
“Voting to overturn state-certified elections would be the opposite of what states’ rights Republicans have always advocated for. This would doom the electoral college forever. It was never intended by our founders that Congress have the power to overturn state-certified elections.
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"My oath to the Constitution doesn’t allow me to disobey the law. I cannot vote to overturn the verdict of the states. Such a vote would be to overturn everything held dear by those of us who support the rights of states in this great system of federalism bequeathed to us by our founders.
"The electoral college was created to devolve the power of selecting presidential electors to the states. The electoral college is, without question, an inseparable friend to those who believe that every American across our vast country deserves to be heard. If Congress were given the power to overturn the states’ elections . . . what terrible chaos would ensue.
"Imagine the furor against the electoral college if Congress becomes a forum to overturn states’ electoral college slates. It is one thing to be angry. It is another to focus one’s anger in a constructive way. That hasn’t happened today, to say the least. We simply cannot destroy the Constitution, our laws, and the electoral college in the process. I hope as the nation’s anger cools, we can channel that energy into essential electoral reforms in every state.
"America is admired around the world for our free elections. We must, we absolutely must, fix this mess and restore confidence and integrity to our elections.”
In the aftermath of Jan. 6th, I was part of a bipartisan combined committee that investigated Jan. 6th and wrote a hundred-page report with specific recommendations to make sure this never happens again.
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The current Jan. 6th committee, in contrast, is a partisan witch-hunt because Nancy Pelosi rejected the Republicans picked by GOP leadership and, instead, hand-picked two nominal Republicans with pre-conceived hatred for all things Trump.
In no world is it fair for one party to subpoena the private records of their political opponents. Under no circumstances should any committee comprised of only one political party be allowed to abuse anyone’s 4th amendment right to privacy.
To imply that I supported arguments to overturn the election is a lie. Anyone who promotes such a lie should be rebuked and/or ignored.
Rand Paul is a Republican U.S. senator from Kentucky.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Rand Paul: The current Jan. 6th committee is a partisan witch-hunt
