A bus of Alabama voters is heading to D.C. for the January 6 rally to support Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the November presidential election. Republicans in Congress want to overturn the electoral college votes certifying Joe Biden as president. Monica Moon of Jasper, Alabama, told Al.com, “Everyone is so excited and so pumped, and it’s definitely worth it. We’re looking at a celebration.” The bus Moon and three of her friends are on heads out of Jasper on Tuesday at 5 p.m with another bus full of Trump’s supporters in tow.
Those buses aren’t the only ones heading out of Alabama to Washington D.C. There’s also a bus leaving out of Baldwin County spearheaded by the Common Sense Campaign tea party. Pete Riehm helped spearhead the buses which is holding 28 people out of Mobile, Spanish Fort, and Flomaton. Riehm told Alabama Today that more people would have come, but the leadership that started to organize it, canceled. Riehm had decided not to go to the rally, but at the urging of his wife, he took the reins and organized it himself. He managed to put the plan together just last Saturday and got 28 people to go in less than 48 hours.
The bus will stop at Henderson, North Carolina tonight before getting to D.C. before the rally. Then they will head straight back to Alabama. Overall, Riehm described the riders as excited and eager to get to Washington. When I asked Riehm if any of the bus riders were worried about safety at the rally, he said they were aware of issues, but remained unconcerned. “We are going during the day, and will avoid the rally at nighttime,” he stated.
Riehm commented that he wanted Alabama lawmakers to know that the bus riders “expect them to ensure that we have a free and fair election.” And his message to President Trump: “Stand strong. We support him. He needs to expose this fraud.”
On Wednesday, Congress is expected to certify the Electoral College votes. However, there is a group of Republicans in the House who are opposing the votes. These GOP senators are claiming voter fraud and stolen votes as their reason behind the opposition. Mo Brooks was one of the first GOP lawmakers on board to oppose the final electoral college vote. Other Alabama lawmakers are on board as well, including Mike Rogers, Tommy Tuberville, and Robert Aderholt.
Aderholt released a statement saying, “As Congress will soon be faced with the actual counting of various states’ electoral votes for the next president of the United States on January 6, it is imperative that members of Congress, like myself, look to the United States Constitution, and to the Electoral Act of 1887, to know how we should move forward. From examining these documents on my own, it is clear to me that Congress has the final review of the electoral process and this is not just a ceremonial act.
“Therefore, based on the overwhelming questions that have been raised about moving forward with the approval of the electors from the states, I have come to the conclusion, and agree with my fellow Alabamian, Rep. Mo Brooks, along with several my colleagues, that there are too many reports of serious fraud for this not to be debated in the House and Senate.”
Mike Rogers posted on Twitter, stating, “On January 6th, I will vote against the electoral college results for the 2020 election. There are far too many instances of alleged voter fraud that have called the legitimacy of the election results into question”
On January 6th, I will vote against the Electoral College results for the 2020 election. There are far too many instances of alleged voter fraud that have called the legitimacy of the election results into question.
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) January 4, 2021
Tuberville, Alabama’s newest Senator, has been vocal on his support for overturning the electoral college results, stating, “I will vote to reject electors from disputed states until that commission has an opportunity to conduct its review, which I believe can and should happen before Inauguration Day.”
I will vote to reject electors from disputed states until that commission has an opportunity to conduct its review, which I believe can and should happen before Inauguration Day.
— Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) January 2, 2021
Not all of Alabama’s lawmakers are in support of this attempt. Rep. Terri Sewell posted on Twitter, saying, “The GOP’s latest effort to delegitimize the election is a brazen, unconstitutional attempt to overturn the will of the American people. But make no mistake: Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States.”
The GOP’s latest effort to delegitimize the election is a brazen, unconstitutional attempt to overturn the will of the American people.
— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) January 3, 2021
But make no mistake: Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States. https://t.co/BbZHRjYpvC
