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Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) called for Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley to resign, saying that "any Senator who stands up and supports the power of force over the power of democracy has broken their oath of office."
Messrs. Hawley (R., Mo.) and Cruz (R., Texas) had provided crucial support for efforts among House Republicans to void Electoral College results from Pennsylvania and Arizona, which backed President-elect Joe Biden over President Trump. It takes one House lawmaker and one senator to sign an objection in writing in order to force a debate and vote on objecting to the results from a single state, and the two men provided written signatures.
Mr. Cruz had objected to the results from Arizona, which as the first state alphabetically among those subject to objections meant that he could be at the vanguard of the fight to challenge the election results. The Senate was in the middle of debating the matter when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, stopping debate as police officers barricaded the doors and eventually led lawmakers to safety.
“I will never apologize for giving voice to the millions of Missourians and Americans who have concerns about the integrity of our elections," Mr. Hawley said in a statement. "That’s my job, and I will keep doing it.”
Mr. Hawley, who had formally challenged Pennsylvania's election results, proceeded with his objection after the attack that resulted in five people dead, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer. "This is the forum that the law provides for — that our laws provide for — for those concerns to be registered, not through violence — not by appealing from ballots to bullets — but here, in this lawful process," Mr. Hawley said at the time.
"There can be no normalizing or looking away from what played out before our eyes this week," Ms. Murray said. "The violent mob that attacked the Capitol was made up of people who don't accept democracy, and want to take this country by use of force. This is not how we keep our people and our country free."
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., left, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, after Republicans objected to certifying the Electoral College votes from Arizona on Wednesday.ANDREW HARNIK/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spokespeople for Messrs. Hawley and Cruz had no immediate comment.
Mr. Cruz, in a Thursday interview with a local Texas television station, responded to calls for his resignation by saying that "no one should be surprised to see Democrats playing politics and to see them try to attack strong conservative leaders."