PA's GOP State Legislators Join Fight Against Electoral Vote

PENNSYLVANIA — Republican leaders of the state legislature in Pennsylvania have joined the fight against the certification of the Electoral College vote, urging U.S. Congress in a letter to delay the process which is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The letter, which reiterated the grievances about election fraud that were dismissed in dozens of court cases following the 2020 election, was shared by President Trump late Tuesday night. He added, "BIG NEWS IN PENNSYLVANIA!"

"Due to these inconsistent and questionable activities, we believe that PA election results should not have been certified by our Secretary of State," the letter reads. It was signed by several leading Republican members of the state senate, including President Pro Tempore Jake Corman.

RELATED: 8 PA Congressmen Say They Will Not Certify Joe Biden Electors

The special joint session of U.S. Congress got underway at 1 p.m. Wednesday, but was soon disrupted by crowds of thousands of protesters soon stormed the U.S. Capitol building following a clash with police. The session went into recess following the unrest.

The hearing marks the last procedural hurdle for President-elect Joe Biden to clear before his Jan. 20 inauguration. Watch a live stream of the session below.

The state legislative leaders join eight of Pennsylvania's nine Republican congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives in vocalizing their stance against the certification.

Confirming Electoral College votes is typically a formality, but in an unprecedented election season, it's quickly become the focal point for supporters of President Trump seeking another avenue to overturn the election results.

Such challenges are not unprecedented, however, and there is established procedure for raising issues with the vote. The issue has split the Republican Party nationally, with a group of U.S. Senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas announcing they would vote against certification last week.

While the state Republican leaders in Pennsylvania have no say in the vote in U.S. Congress Wednesday, the support coming out of a key battleground state is welcome ammunition to the Trump wing of the party looking to cast doubt on the integrity of the state's results.