[ad_1]
Business leaders across the country unite to urge Congress to immediately certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden, claiming that any attempt to “thwart” the process “would go against the essential principles of our democracy”.
As of Monday afternoon, nearly 200 leaders signed the short open letter asking lawmakers to certify Biden’s presidency on January 6. “Our duly elected leaders deserve the respect and bipartisan support of all Americans at a time when we face the worst health and economic conditions. crises of modern history, ”they wrote.
The letter features the biggest united push by the business community to prevent President Donald Trump and a group of 12 senators from various attempts to claim the election, which Biden won by 74 electoral votes and 4.5 points.
In November, the main CEOs met in private discuss possible collective action against the President if he refuses to step down. They decided, said Yale management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who chaired the meeting, to allow the president to legally challenge the election results. But if the president’s actions begin to undermine the peaceful transition of power, the group said it could take public action collectively and privately pressure its Republican congressmen to speak out.
Trump and his associates have lost about 60 legal battles related to the election in courts across the country, but they still refuse to concede.
“President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have won the electoral college, and the courts have dismissed challenges to the electoral process,” read the letter signed by various Fortune 500 leaders, including Albert Bourla, Pfizer President and CEO; Larry fink, Black rock President and CEO; Ajay Banga, MasterCard executive chairman; and David solomon, Goldman Sachs President and CEO.
The letter follows news that Texas Sen. Ted cruz plans to lead 11 senators on Wednesday in an attempt to prevent Congress from formally certifying election results unless there is another audit of the numbers.
“We intend to vote on Jan. 6 to reject voters in contested states as not being ‘regularly donated’ and ‘legally certified’,” Senators said. “Unless and until this 10-day emergency audit is complete.” In the house, until 140 Republicans have said they could vote against certifying the victory of the electoral college.
The problem caused a rift between Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not support the audit but did not use his power to stop it. Republican Senator Pat Toomey, who is retiring after that term, said the efforts directly undermine the ability of the American people to elect their leaders and that “allegations of fraud by a losing campaign cannot justify the quashing of a campaign. election”.
Ted Cruz should presidential candidate in 2024 as did Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, who separately said he would not certify election results on Wednesday.
Senators Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Steve Daines, Ron Johnson, John Kennedy and James Lankford, as well as elected Senators Bill Hagerty, Cynthia Lummis, Roger Marshall and Tommy Tuberville, will join Cruz in his demands.
President Donald Trump tweeted his support for the initiative over the weekend, and Vice President Mike Pence “praises the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use the power they have under the law to raise objections and present evidence, ”said Marc Short, Pence Chief of Staff.
Many senators who oppose certification of the vote are vying for re-election and may fear opposition to Trump could lead to main challengers in their home countries. Insurance from the business community can perhaps allay some fears about tight purse strings in election campaigns for those who certify Biden’s presidency.
More political cover of Fortune:
- Biggest Conspiracy Theories of 2020 (and why they won’t die)
- Under Biden, expect closer scrutiny from Big Techs and mergers
- Why a key Georgia county went from red to blue –and what it means for democrats
- Pfizer, Trump and Biden: a twisted triangle that complicating relief from COVID-19
- Biden’s First 100 Days: Student loan debt isn’t going anywhere
[ad_2]
