Op-ed: Preserving our Constitution and the sacred institutions our country was founded on

Originally published in the Tri-City Herald on January 6, 2021

The U.S. Constitution has a structural process for electing the President of the United States that has held our nation together for nearly two and a half centuries. Every four years, a joint session of Congress meets to certify the Electoral College votes submitted by each state. Today, I will vote to certify these votes from one of the most divisive elections in our country's history, and here's why.

Evidence of election irregularities – of any kind – cause great concern and must be addressed. We should never overlook the dangerous consequences of even a single instance of voter fraud – and there were such instances in this election. After an unprecedented election with states across the country hastily implementing new voting systems, millions of Americans are questioning the validity of the vote because of the process undertaken by states and local election officials.

Washingtonians are no stranger to the growing pains of mass vote-by-mail. Our state has continued to make tweaks to our voting system since mail-in-voting was instituted, dating back to 1991. In April, concerns over rushed implementation of vote-by-mail in many other states were expressed by top election officials, including Secretary of State Kim Wyman and King County Elections Director Julie Wise.

In early December, I filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit led by the Texas Attorney General that challenged the constitutionality of election systems in four states that had expanded voting processes without the approval of their state legislature – an explicit requirement written in the U.S. Constitution. We have a separation of powers for a reason, which is why I supported this effort within the judicial branch that aimed to instill confidence that each state's electors were selected legally and according to our Constitution.

The Supreme Court dismissed the case ruling that Texas lacked standing to bring the argument. This ruling does not mean these concerns vanish. We – at all levels of government – owe it to the American people to restore faith in free, secure, and constitutional elections and investigate any irregularities that may have occurred. As a Member of Congress, this is something I vow to do and a responsibility I take very seriously.

Shortly after the Supreme Court dismissed the Texas lawsuit, the Electoral College – a pillar of our national election system – voted and submitted the final tally to Congress. This submission, currently undisputed by a single state legislature, signals that all legal and judicial remedies have been exhausted.

The Constitution and the Twelfth Amendment make the next step in this process clear: Congress has the duty to count the votes submitted by the states, not determine which electors the states should have sent. Today, on the House floor, I intend to uphold the Constitution, fulfill my Oath of Office, and vote to approve the certification of Electoral College votes.

Like many in Central Washington and millions of Americans across the country, I voted for President Trump to serve for another four years. The Trump Administration created the strongest economy in decades, unlocked the innovation and creativity of our country's brightest minds, and empowered families and individuals to truly pursue the American Dream.

While our country remains deeply divided, I hope we can all agree on one thing: Our Constitution and the sacred institutions our country was founded upon must be preserved. I am committed to upholding the values of Central Washington as I continue working in Congress to ensure we do just that.