All our basic rights and freedoms flow from a fidelity to
the Constitution and the rule of law. This principle is not only fundamentally
American but a central tenet of conservatism. Under our system, voters determine
the President, and this self-governance cannot sustain itself if the whims of
Congress replace the will of the people. I would urge members to consider the precedent
that it would set.

Efforts to reject the votes of the Electoral College and sow
doubt about Joe Biden’s victory strike at the foundation of our republic. It is
difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act than
a federal intervention to overturn the results of state-certified elections and
disenfranchise millions of Americans. The fact that this effort will fail does
not mean it will not do significant damage to American democracy.

The Trump campaign had ample opportunity to challenge
election results, and those efforts failed from lack of evidence. The legal
process was exhausted, and the results were decisively confirmed. The Department
of Justice, too, found no basis for overturning the result. If states wish to
reform their processes for future elections, that is their prerogative. But Joe
Biden’s victory is entirely legitimate.  

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