Most members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation support President Donald Trump and his call for a fair and transparent election.
Trump, a Republican, said he believes voter fraud put his opponent former Vice President Joe Biden over the top in certain battleground states after a close election.
But U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) said in a newsletter to his constituents Sunday that Trump’s statements are false and baseless.
“Relying on the right-wing media and his rabid supporters, the President is spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about the validity of mail-in voting, calling it corrupt, and demanding the vote counting be stopped. His campaign has filed multiple lawsuits in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia challenging the counting of ballots it claims are not legitimate, lawful votes. All of these lawsuits have been dismissed for lack of any reliable evidence,” Cooper wrote.
“Last night the President of the United States openly admitted to undermining our democratic process and spewed nothing but false claims that even Republicans admit are completely unfounded. His rhetoric is reckless and dangerous and puts the lives of many volunteers and civil servants at risk. It puts America at risk.”
Retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), however, stated he wants the system to work as designed.
“After counting every valid vote and allowing courts to resolve disputes, it is important to respect and promptly accept the result,” Alexander wrote.
“The orderly transfer or reaffirming of immense power after a presidential election is the most enduring symbol of our democracy.”
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Sen.-Elect Bill Hagerty said on their respective Facebook pages that they had donated to Trump’s Legal Defense Fund.
Retiring U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01) said on his website that “Trump has pursued a commonsense, conservative agenda, and he deserves tremendous credit for keeping our country running while dealing with the deadly coronavirus.”
“Now, we must make sure election rules in all states are fully and fairly enforced and not simply cast aside to help ensure a predetermined outcome,” Roe said.
“I am hopeful that President Trump will be able to continue America’s comeback.”
Roe’s incoming replacement, U.S. Rep.-Elect Diana Harshbarger said on her Facebook page to “count every legal vote.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said on his Facebook page that “in close races, we need more transparency so there’s no question on the results.”
“And the Trump campaign has every right to ask for recounts and make legal challenges. Back in 2000, Al Gore didn’t concede until Dec. 12, so there’s a precedent,” Burchett said.
“I respect each states’ ability to handle their own elections, but clearly there are some — like Tennessee — that have a better model. Going forward, let’s hope others look to our great state for guidance on how to run an efficient and transparent election.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) tweeted that it is “sickening watching Republican leaders aid and abet Trump’s absolute disdain for our democracy and the Constitution.”
U.S. Rep. Charles Fleischmann (R-TN-03) said on Facebook that “all credible allegations of fraud should be investigated and handled by the courts.”
“Ensuring confidence and transparency in our institutions should not be a partisan issue,” Fleischmann wrote.
U.S. Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06) said on Facebook that Trump “is fighting for an honest, fair election process.”
“If there is nothing to hide, why not continue the long standing practice of allowing poll watchers? Uncertainty breeds distrust,” Rose wrote.
“We deserve to have an electoral process that not only protects our most sacred right, but is one that we can trust.”
The Tennessee Star could find no comments that U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08) may have written related to this matter either on his website’s list of press releases or on his Facebook page.
As The Star reported Saturday, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) said this week that Congress might need to step in to reform America’s election system. U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) said this week that constituents in his district want “a fair accounting” of votes in this year’s presidential election.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Mail-in ballots only for military and gov’t service personnel serving out of country which shall have preferential handling, i.e. counted first. ALL ballots shall be identifiable with a bar code which will compare signature of registration to signature on the ballot. Signature matching will be done when the ballot is cast. If the signature’s don’t match, immediate correction shall be required or the vote will be disallowed.
Voter ID’s with picture from drivers license or other gov’t picture ID issued when the individual registers to vote IN PERSON. MUST HAVE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP AT TIME OF REGISTRATION.
ALL voting must be in person (with certain exceptions, i.e. medical condition). Voting to start a minimum of two weeks before final election date.
Obviously these recommendations would need some tweaking but it’s a start.
Our current system is a crooks dream.