U.S. Representative Mo Brooks and House conservatives had a private meeting Monday with Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump. The lawmakers take the necessary steps to mount a long-shot bid next month to reverse the Electoral College results. The Electoral College confirmed Democrat Joe Biden's as the winner of the election and the nation's next president.
The discussion revolved around the president's dubious claims of widespread fraud and allegations that the Democrats stole the election from him, according to those who participated in the meeting. Lawmakers noted that there would a group of House and Senate Republicans that would start a marathon debate on the floor on Jan. 6, and this debate could extend to Jan. 7.
Pence's presence in the meeting would be particularly important because he will be presiding over the joint session of Congress that is slated to count the electoral votes. According to Brooks, Pence was involved in different parts of the meeting.
Brooks retweeted a tweet from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, noting that several members of Congress had a meeting in the Oval Office with Trump, preparing to fight back against increasing evidence of voter fraud. "Stay tuned," Meadows wrote at the end of the tweet, indicating more updates about the meeting will be provided soon.
Brooks pointed out that they have several senators, so the question is not if, but "how many." This remark does not coincide with the wishes of Senate Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. They are restlessly waiting to move on and advising senators not to take part because if they do so, they would be forced to cast a politically toxic vote against the president.
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Brooks said they would leave no stone unturned in an attempt to challenge the election in at least six battleground states. Moreover, he said that he has to coordinate about 72 five-minute speeches that GOP leaders would make on that day. He described this is as a significant task.
The lawmakers that attended the meeting were Trump allies from the House of Representatives, including Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, and Brooks, according to a source familiar with the meeting, Reuters reported. The effort is highly unlikely to succeed; however, it will create a spectacle that Senate GOP leaders are trying to avoid.
If a senator and a House member oppose results in six states, it will lead to about 12 hours of debate. This will be in addition to the time for casting votes on each motion.