Sen. Gary Peters: ‘This Hearing Gives a Platform to Conspiracy Theories and Lies’

PETERS Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ And thanks to our ░░░░░░░░ for being here today ░░░░░░░░ know Mr Chairman if ░░░░░░░░ have learned anything over ░░░░░░░░ past few years it ░░░░░░░░ that we cannot take ░░░░░░░░ democracy for granted Our ░░░░░░░░ and our democratic norms ░░░░░░░░ been under assault and ░░░░░░░░ elected leaders fail to ░░░░░░░░ up to protect them ░░░░░░░░ just see how quickly ░░░░░░░░ can erode For generations ░░░░░░░░ have been a shining ░░░░░░░░ for budding democracies around ░░░░░░░░ world We ve shown ░░░░░░░░ world that strong governments ░░░░░░░░ free societies can thrive ░░░░░░░░ political power is entrusted ░░░░░░░░ the people We have ░░░░░░░░ that the will of ░░░░░░░░ people is above any ░░░░░░░░ individual And when voters ░░░░░░░░ their new leaders power ░░░░░░░░ be transferred peacefully The ░░░░░░░░ and many of his ░░░░░░░░ are unfortunately continuing their ░░░░░░░░ to undermine the will ░░░░░░░░ the people disenfranchise voters ░░░░░░░░ sew the seeds of ░░░░░░░░ and discontent to further ░░░░░░░░ partisan desire for power ░░░░░░░░ intended or not this ░░░░░░░░ gives a platform to ░░░░░░░░ theories and lies It ░░░░░░░░ a destructive exercise that ░░░░░░░░ no place in the ░░░░░░░░ States Senate Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ the election more than ░░░░░░░░ weeks ago with 306 ░░░░░░░░ votes and received the ░░░░░░░░ popular votes for a ░░░░░░░░ candidate in American history ░░░░░░░░ 50 states and the ░░░░░░░░ of Columbia have certified ░░░░░░░░ results The Electoral College ░░░░░░░░ Monday and all affirm ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden will be ░░░░░░░░ president on January 20th ░░░░░░░░ It s a result ░░░░░░░░ the majority of the ░░░░░░░░ people recognize along with ░░░░░░░░ leaders of more than ░░░░░░░░ countries around the world ░░░░░░░░ even after all of ░░░░░░░░ significant numbers of Republican ░░░░░░░░ officials have been slow ░░░░░░░░ publicly acknowledge that Joe ░░░░░░░░ will be the next ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ appreciate that yesterday several ░░░░░░░░ my Republican colleagues made ░░░░░░░░ first public comments acknowledging ░░░░░░░░ fact And I appreciate ░░░░░░░░ even the chairman s ░░░░░░░░ around this election has ░░░░░░░░ over the last 24 ░░░░░░░░ Let me be clear ░░░░░░░░ to move forward with ░░░░░░░░ hearing is still dangerous ░░░░░░░░ leaders who are chosen ░░░░░░░░ the voters to help ░░░░░░░░ our institutions and democratic ░░░░░░░░ spent weeks either turning ░░░░░░░░ blind eye or parroting ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric and false claims ░░░░░░░░ this election By not ░░░░░░░░ out earlier even though ░░░░░░░░ knew it was wrong ░░░░░░░░ there was no evidence ░░░░░░░░ support these claims and ░░░░░░░░ this inflammatory rhetoric is ░░░░░░░░ to our democracy many ░░░░░░░░ officials gave the president ░░░░░░░░ his supporters license to ░░░░░░░░ damaging lies about the ░░░░░░░░ We have known for ░░░░░░░░ that there was no ░░░░░░░░ voter fraud A fact ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s own ░░░░░░░░ of Justice has confirmed ░░░░░░░░ was no election interference ░░░░░░░░ the election wasn t ░░░░░░░░ In fact independent election ░░░░░░░░ officials and the Department ░░░░░░░░ Homeland Security have called ░░░░░░░░ election quote the most ░░░░░░░░ in American history end ░░░░░░░░ quote We re going ░░░░░░░░ hear directly from the ░░░░░░░░ director of CISA who ░░░░░░░░ testify today about that ░░░░░░░░ In the face of ░░░░░░░░ from the president and ░░░░░░░░ supporters including threats of ░░░░░░░░ and even death election ░░░░░░░░ in states across the ░░░░░░░░ certified their results as ░░░░░░░░ More than 50 50 ░░░░░░░░ election lawsuits filed by ░░░░░░░░ Trump campaign have been ░░░░░░░░ or withdrawn including by ░░░░░░░░ United States Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ there is simply no ░░░░░░░░ to support these claims ░░░░░░░░ a court of law ░░░░░░░░ despite the title of ░░░░░░░░ s hearing there were ░░░░░░░░ widespread election irregularities that ░░░░░░░░ the final outcome These ░░░░░░░░ are false And giving ░░░░░░░░ more oxygen is a ░░░░░░░░ threat to the future ░░░░░░░░ our democracy Now I ░░░░░░░░ the chairman s desire ░░░░░░░░ insure our elections run ░░░░░░░░ and I agree that ░░░░░░░░ need to restore faith ░░░░░░░░ trust in our election ░░░░░░░░ but I m concerned ░░░░░░░░ today s hearing will ░░░░░░░░ more harm than good ░░░░░░░░ confusing a few anecdotes ░░░░░░░░ human areas with the ░░░░░░░░ claims by the president ░░░░░░░░ aired Mistakes do happen ░░░░░░░░ elections But there is ░░░░░░░░ difference between a clerk ░░░░░░░░ an error that gets ░░░░░░░░ and corrected during routine ░░░░░░░░ and calling the entire ░░░░░░░░ fraudulent or stolen when ░░░░░░░░ is no evidence just ░░░░░░░░ you don t like ░░░░░░░░ outcome Amplifying these obviously ░░░░░░░░ narratives about fraud or ░░░░░░░░ corrodes public trust it ░░░░░░░░ national security and it ░░░░░░░░ our democracy and our ░░░░░░░░ around the world Every ░░░░░░░░ the president or his ░░░░░░░░ make these false claims ░░░░░░░░ destabilize our relationships with ░░░░░░░░ allies and allow authoritarian ░░░░░░░░ to undercut American democratic ░░░░░░░░ around the globe Democracy ░░░░░░░░ a free society are ░░░░░░░░ guaranteed We have seen ░░░░░░░░ around the world crumble ░░░░░░░░ of similar words and ░░░░░░░░ When executives abuse their ░░░░░░░░ when political leaders work ░░░░░░░░ stifle the free press ░░░░░░░░ when they delegitimize the ░░░░░░░░ of one person one ░░░░░░░░ it puts our country ░░░░░░░░ a dangerous path I ░░░░░░░░ faith that our democracy ░░░░░░░░ strong and that it ░░░░░░░░ withstand these attacks But ░░░░░░░░ need all of our ░░░░░░░░ to speak up and ░░░░░░░░ these harmful this harmful ░░░░░░░░ Preserving our democracy takes ░░░░░░░░ work and I m ░░░░░░░░ troubled that we re ░░░░░░░░ the edge of a ░░░░░░░░ point Now is the ░░░░░░░░ for American patriots who ░░░░░░░░ this country to say ░░░░░░░░ is enough Now is ░░░░░░░░ time for patriots to ░░░░░░░░ our nation s founding ░░░░░░░░ first during a time ░░░░░░░░ American democracy needs the ░░░░░░░░ defense that we can ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman today the ░░░░░░░░ campaign has filed about ░░░░░░░░ legal challenges to the ░░░░░░░░ in eight states across ░░░░░░░░ country I ask that ░░░░░░░░ document highlighting those cases ░░░░░░░░ their failed attempts be ░░░░░░░░ into the record without ░░░░░░░░