North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a stalwart ally of President Donald Trump, said Wednesday he will not object to certifying the votes that will make Joe Biden president on January 20.
Tillis broke with some other North Carolina Republicans in Congress who plan to object to certifying the votes from some states that went for Biden. Sen. Richard Burr has also said he will not object.
"Congress should not overstep its Constitutional authority by overturning the results of states and the will of American voters, especially absent legitimate requests from states for Congress to intervene," Tillis said in a statement. “It is a precedent we should not set."
"Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer should not have the power to set aside electors after the 2024 election and overrule federal courts and the Constitution as they see fit," he said.
Seven North Carolina Republicans in the House have said they plan to object: Reps. Virginia Foxx, Dan Bishop, Ted Budd, Madison Cawthorn, Richard Hudson, Greg Murphy and David Rouzer.
Tillis, who just began his second term in the Senate, released the statement midday Wednesday as both houses of Congress came together in a joint session to begin what would normally be a mundane affair of officially counting Electoral College votes to certify the new president.
Trump has pressured Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the election. But on Wednesday, Pence said he cannot claim "unilateral authority" and reject votes for Joe Biden, according to the Associated Press.
Instead, some Republicans in the Senate, and many more in the House, plan to object to certifying the votes from some states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Because of the objections, the session could run into late tonight or tomorrow, but it will only delay the inevitable certification of Biden as the next president.
"The Framers of our Constitution made it clear that the power to certify elections is reserved to the states, not Congress. Refusing to certify state election results has no viable path to success, and most importantly, it lends legitimacy to the Left’s stated policy objectives of completely federalizing elections and eliminating the Electoral College," Tillis said.
"I was proud to support President Trump’s agenda and campaign with him, and I am deeply disappointed he was not re-elected," the senator said. "Although I certainly wish the results were different, Congress cannot change them without inflicting irreparable damage to our Constitutional Republic."