Murkowski ‘really disappointed’ with House lawmakers supporting election challenge

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Friday that she was “disappointed” with House lawmakers for supporting an effort to challenge election results in key battleground states. 

“I am really surprised and disappointed that … three days before everything is to be certified that there would be an effort by members, effort by states that are not even impacted in the sense of the challenges,” Murkowski said. 

“That there would be this effort following all of the court rulings that have set aside or disposed of any questions with regard to voting irregularity. … So I’m surprised, and I’m even more so, I was really disappointed that this is continuing in this way,” Murkowski continued. 

Murkowski’s comments came after 106 Republican lawmakers in the House signed an amicus brief on Thursday in support of the Texas lawsuit aimed at overturning the election results in four swing states — Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that handed Democrat Joe Biden the White House in last month’s presidential election. 

On Friday, an additional 20 House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), endorsed the effort. 

No Senate Republicans have yet signed on to a similar petition. 

Murkowski advised supporters not to try to get her on board. 

“I would certainly hope not, because that meant they haven’t seen my statements which I have clearly said President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are going to be beginning a new administration in January,” she added when asked if a petition had been sent to her office. 

The lawsuit by Texas has divided GOP senators. 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters, “I do not understand the legal theory.”

But Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has said that the Supreme Court needs to “adjudicate” it. 

“That could take the form of finding that there’s no standing. There’s lots of permutations here,” he said. 

Hawley added that he wasn’t aware of a similar petition circulating among Senate Republicans. 

“Usually the way these things work on the amicus brief side, you know this, is somebody takes the lead and then says I’ll write it and then I’ll get people to sign on,” he said.