SC’s Congressman Rice won’t weigh in on Biden win certification until Wednesday vote
As Republicans across the country are announcing plans to object to certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election win, U.S. Rep. Tom Rice of Myrtle Beach said he’s withholding judgment until after Wednesday’s debate.
In a statement posted to Facebook Monday, Rice said he “does not plan to commit to a position until the evidence is weighed and the debate concluded.”
“The standard to overcome the electoral college vote is extremely high,” Rice said in a statement. “It is important to weigh all information that is presented.”
Congress is set to debate the election on Wednesday after dozens of Republicans in the House and Senate said they planned to object to the results. The objections, though, represent a blip in the road for Biden’s win, which will still likely be certified.
Many Republican objectors echoed Trump’s claims that the November election was rife with fraud, especially in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all swing states that went for Biden. In his statement Monday, Rice echoed concerns about allegations of “apparent improprieties in some states in the presidential election.”
However, there has been no evidence to suggest there was widespread voter fraud that could have changed the results of the election. Trump’s now former attorney general, William Barr, said this month the Department of Justice had uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could have swayed the election results. And multiple court challenges — at least 59 — from Trump’s campaign and his allies also have been denied.
Rice called the wave of objections “a protest vote,” making clear that he thinks there is no way Republicans will get enough support to change the outcome Wednesday. They would need a majority in the House and the Senate, and the House is still controlled by Democrats. Several Senate Republicans have already acknowledged Biden’s win publicly.
“We must look for real solutions rather than a guaranteed failure of a symbolic gesture that only strengthens the hands of the Democrats by setting a dangerous precedent,” said Rice, who represents the 7th Congressional District.
South Carolina’s congressional delegation has been scattered about the certification vote.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the sole Democrat of the delegation, is a strong Biden ally, and his endorsement pushed Biden to a pivotal win in the South Carolina’s presidential primary in February. Clyburn will vote to certify the results.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace has said she will not object, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s strongest allies, said Republican’s efforts to change the results of the election have “zero chance of becoming a reality.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Reps. Jeff Duncan, Joe Wilson, Ralph Norman and William Timmons all announced their plans last week to object to the election results. All voiced concerns about allegations of voter fraud, mostly centered around mail-in voting, which have yet to be backed by evidence.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott has yet to weigh in on the certification, making him the last standout in South Carolina’s Congressional Delegation.
The wave of objections are controversial, and go directly against the directions of party leadership. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, warned his Senate colleagues earlier this month not to dispute the Electoral College certification. Doing so could trigger a vote, where Republicans would publicly have to sound off on whether they believe the unproven allegations of voter fraud.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 3:19 PM.
