Earlier today, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling her out for what the IA-2 election contest really is — yet another Pelosi power grab. The letter reads:
All votes have been counted, and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks won her election. Not only did Dr. Miller-Meeks not trail in any officially reported count, but she also continued to lead following a recount conducted by bipartisan recount boards, which included a member from each campaign and an agreed upon third party. On November 30, 2020, the bipartisan State Canvassing Board voted unanimously to certify Congresswoman Miller-Meeks as the winner. Then, on January 3, 2021, you seated Congresswoman Miller-Meeks as a Member of Congress with support from every Democratic Member.
Yet Rita Hart has contested the results of Iowa’s free and fair election with the Committee on House Administration, which is made up of twice as many Democrats as Republicans. In fact, Contestant Hart purposefully skipped Iowa’s impartial courts and moved directly to this Democrat-controlled committee, stating it was “the only way to get the result we need.”
While the Constitution gives Congress the authority to determine its own members, it is unprecedented and antithetical to our democracy to unseat the duly elected and certified winner of a state election simply because you have the majority.
The letter continues:
You have already begun to manipulate this contest in order to guarantee a win for Contestant Hart, inventing brand-new procedure that violates federal law and your own rules. Unbelievably, this would require almost nothing from Contestant Hart but would have Congresswoman Miller-Meeks prove that she won her seat, despite holding a valid election certificate. Even worse, as Ranking Member Rodney Davis noted, Marc Elias, an attorney recently sanctioned by a federal appellate court for untruthfulness, represents half of the Democrats on the Committee—the judges—while also representing Contestant Hart, a serious conflict of interest.
I urge you to put your faith in our democracy and dismiss this partisan contest. While you may have the ability through force of majority vote to disenfranchise Iowa voters and replace their selection with your own, Iowa’s voters, the American people, and every duly-elected Representative serving in this 117th Congress with the same certifications and credentials that Congresswoman Miller-Meeks, you, and I have deserve better.
All votes have been counted, recounted, & certified. @RepMMM won her election in #IA02.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 29, 2021
Now Democrats are skipping the courts & manipulating this contest in order to steal a seat for their losing candidate.
I just sent this letter to Speaker Pelosi: https://t.co/9ZnfTAR7qr pic.twitter.com/FvXAMVtsSR
Speaker Pelosi's stance on the IA-2 election contest has gotten progressively more radical.
.@SpeakerPelosi : “There should be nothing partisan or political about empowering the American people and making sure that government works for them.”
— Tom Emmer (@RepTomEmmer) March 29, 2021
Also Speaker Pelosi:https://t.co/UPUMY1QLQY
Speaker Pelosi's hypocrisy knows no bounds.
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) March 29, 2021
I joined the @EveningEdit to discuss her attempt to overturn the election of Rep. Miller-Meeks in Iowa.
Watch here: pic.twitter.com/fKUIKosv2Q
Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats are trying to steal an election, and they're using taxpayer money to do it.
Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/2qfYHjjYJ8
— House Admin. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmnGOP) March 29, 2021