Lawmakers Who Backed Texas Lawsuit Should Be Barred From House: NJ Congressman

Mary Papenfuss
Updated

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) has called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bar 126 GOP representatives from the House, arguing that their support for the failed, baseless Texas lawsuit seeking to hijack the presidential election violated the Constitution.

The Texas suit, supported by 17 other state attorneys general, was rejected Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court. President Donald Trump had attempted to join the self-serving suit, which sought to jettison votes in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, whose voters chose President-elect Joe Biden.

Pascrell accused the House members who signed an amicus brief supporting the action — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — of violating the Constitution by seeking to nullify Americans’ votes and instead choose a “dictator.” He cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, enacted after the Civil War and designed to keep traitors out of government.

The section prohibits anyone who had gone to war against the union or given aid and comfort to the nation’s enemies from running for federal or state office.

The Pennsylvania brief responding to the Texas lawsuit referred to its “seditious abuse of the judicial process.”

Pascrell said in a tweet accompanied by a statement on Friday: “Today I’m calling on House leaders to refuse to seat any Members trying to overturn the election and make Donald Trump an unelected dictator.”

The “text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States,” he tweeted. “Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that.”

Pascrell was quoted in his statement as saying: “Stated simply, the men and women who would act to tear the United States Government apart cannot serve as Members of the Congress.”

Pelosi’s office didn’t comment on Pascrell’s request. But in a letter to colleagues Friday evening, the California Democrat said Republicans are “subverting the Constitution by their reckless and fruitless assault on our democracy.”

Trump has refused to concede the election and continues to repeat baseless claims of election fraud. Dozens of court cases by his campaign and supporters have failed in court.

Pascrell’s call to block lawmakers who backed the latest suit triggered a show of support on Twitter.

Also on HuffPost

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Advertisement