Group of US senators urges Biden’s win be certified

A bipartisan group of 10 US senators has issued a statement calling for Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s election win.

The senators, including four Republicans, say in the statement that efforts by some Republicans to overturn the results in favor of President Donald Trump “are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people and only serve to undermine Americans’ confidence in the already determined election results.”

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Mitt Romney of Utah sign on to the statement, which says, “It is time to move forward.”

A separate group of Senate Republicans, led by Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, say they plan to object to the election results when Congress meets on Wednesday to tally Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College victory over Trump.

The objections will force votes in both the House and Senate, but none is expected to prevail.

Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Republicans not to object. And several other GOP senators have criticized the efforts, splitting the party as the new Congress begins. Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has said that the objections are “bad for the country and bad for the party.”

Fraud did not spoil the 2020 presidential election, a fact confirmed by election officials across the US.

— AP