Republican senator Josh Hawley joins Trump-backed bid to object to Electoral College vote counts on January 6 and stop Congress certifying Biden win

Republican Senator Josh Hawley announced Wednesday he would join GOP House members and object to Electoral College vote counts when Congress meets January 6 to finalize President-elect Joe Biden's win. 

President Donald Trump has been pressuring GOP senators to join the effort, which could delay announcing the final result for hours. 'JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!' he tweeted to supporters Wednesday after Hawley's announcement, as he's called on them to rally as Congress meets.

Hawley said in a statement that he believed states, pointing a finger at Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own election laws and companies, like Twitter and Facebook, '' in the election, by supporting Biden.

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said Wednesday he will join a handful of House Republicans who plan to object to the Electoral College vote counts in key swing states, which could delay Congress certifying the election of President-elect Joe Biden 

Sen. Josh Hawley outlined his reason for joining the effort in a statement sent out Wednesday. He called out Congress for not investigating alleged 'voter fraud,' and said Facebook and Twitter '' in the election by having a pro-Joe Biden bias 

President Donald Trump has been pressuring Republican senators to object to states' Electoral College vote counts, as a senator and a House member have to sign on for there to be a debate and a vote. Depending on how many states Republicans object to, it could hold up certifying the election for Joe Biden for hours  

President Donald Trump is encouraging his supporters to come to Washington, D.C. the day that Congress certifies the Electoral College results. With Hawley saying he'll join in an effort to object to states' votes, the process could take hours 

He also blasted Congress for refusing to investigate 'allegations of voter fraud.'  

'For these reasons, I will follow the same Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues,' Hawley explained. 

Later he told reporters that he didn't know if he'd object to just one state's tally, or all of them. 

'You know, we'll see about that ... We’re working out the logistics of it. We’ll keep you posted,' he said. 

Next Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence will preside over a meeting of Congress when the results of the Electoral College vote are read and tallied. 

It's generally a formality, but as Hawley pointed out, Democrats did object to certain states' vote counts, including during the 2016 and 2004 races. 

In order for challenges to be debated, both a House member and a senator have to sign on to an objection. 

House Democrats raised concerns after the 2016 race over state tallies in Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Mississippi and the Carolinas, however no Democratic senator joined the effort. 

Biden, at the time serving as vice president, gaveled down the protests because they weren't joined by a senator. 

In the 2004 cycle, then California Sen. Barbara Boxer objected alongside several House Democrats to Ohio's results citing 'numerous, serious election irregularities' that led to a 'a significant disenfranchisement of voters.'  

At the time, CNN reported that the Democrats made their move to gain support for future election reform - not because they thought it would actually overturn the results of the election, which was won by Republican President George W. Bush. 

Unlike Trump, who will applaud the effort, John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee, put out a statement saying he would not take part in the protest. 

Trump has asked his supporters to march on Washington, D.C., for the third time since his election loss.  

Once Hawley and House Republicans object to a state's vote count, lawmakers will go back to their respective chambers and discuss the merits of the objection for two hours. 

Only a majority vote is needed to overrule the objections. 

With the Democrats controlling the House and several Republicans in the Senate publicly saying that the election is over - and Biden is the winner - Hawley's objection will trigger a delay, but not flip the results to Trump.   

Trump, however, has refused to concede the election to Biden and continued to rant about widespread voter fraud, of which there is no evidence, on Wednesday during his Florida vacation to Mar-a-Lago. 

Prior to Hawley's announcement, Trump had been pressuring incoming Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville to register objections on January 6. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asked senators not to engage because they'd be forced to go on the record and by voting in favor of Biden's win, could be in danger of being taken down by pro-Trump forces within the Republican Party. 

On December 15, the day after the Electoral College met, McConnell came on the Senate floor and congratulated Biden as president-elect.  

Speaking to reporters at her weekly press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to Hawley's announcement by pointing out that it wouldn't change the election's outcome. 

'I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today, that Joe Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of the Electoral College as the 46th president of the United States,' Pelosi said. 

Jen Psaki, Biden's incoming White House press secretary, was equally confident on a Zoom call with reporters later Wednesday afternoon. 

'This is merely a formality,' she said. 'It certainly should be treated as such by people who are covering it and regardless of whatever antics anyone is up to on January 6 President-elect Biden will be sworn in on January 20.' 

Psaki also pointed out that there was a precedent of election losers certifying the results. 

'Vice President Biden presided over the certification of Donald Trump's win in 2017, Vice President Nixon presided over the certification of John F. Kennedy's win, Vice President Gore presided over the certification of George W. Bush's win,' Psaki said. 

Biden didn't run for president in 2016, but supported his party's Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.