Paul Ryan criticized efforts by a group comprising some Republican lawmakers, who are planning to reject the electoral votes from some states on Jan. 6. The former Speaker of the House compared their decision to the anti-democratic and anti-conservative act.
Ryan went on to say that attempts to oppose the Electoral College votes and raise questions regarding President-elect Joe Biden's victory are an attack at the foundation of the country's republican. Wisconsin's former GOP congressman, who retired over two years ago, issued a statement, which Josh Kraushaar tweeted on Monday.
He described House and Senate Republicans' action as a federal invention to reverse the results of the presidential election, which has already been certified by the state. He deemed the expected action as the House and Senate Republicans' attempt to disenfranchise the American public.
Although the attempt is doomed to fail, Ryan noted that it will still significantly damage the country's democracy. Nearly a hundred House Republicans are planning to oppose the electoral votes cast in some battleground states on Jan. 6, when Congress assembles for a joint session to tally the votes and certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory, CBS News reported.
A group comprising 11 Republicans in the Senate announced that they plan to reject electoral votes from some states. They demand that a commission is appointed to carry out a 10-day audit of the results from those disputed states. Missouri's GOP Senator Josh Hawley said last week that he intends to oppose to certification of electoral votes, according to the Washington Post.
The objections are expected to trigger a lengthy process that encompasses two hours of debate, coupled with a vote in each chamber for each disputed state. The process is also likely to turn into an all-day event, starting the new Congress off with a political battle, leading to cause a disagreement between members.
Ryan has mostly remained tight-lipped after leaving office. Trump repeatedly targeted him while serving in the House and criticizing him even after he left the House. Ryan represented the Republican party as a nominee for vice president on the ticket with Senator Mitt Romney back in 2012.
One of Ryan's only notable remarks since leaving Washington was quoted in a 2019 book by POLITICO reporter Tim Alberta, dubbed American Carnage. In the book, he accused Trump of not knowing anything about government, and he called his retirement an "escape hatch" because he couldn't stand another two years with the president.