Rising Republican star Tom Cotton, a major ally for President Donald Trump, says he will not oppose Joe Biden's election victory.
On Wednesday, a joint session of Congress will count the certified electoral votes to confirm the Democrat as the new President.
But at least a dozen Republican senators have signaled they will stand in the way of the President-elect.
Rising Republican star Tom Cotton (pictured with his wife Anna Peckham), a major ally for President Donald Trump, says he will not oppose Joe Biden's election victory
Senator Josh Hawley said he will object to the certification and was the first Republican to do so last week.
He said he cannot assent to Biden's victory without 'raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws.'
Ted Cruz said he would lead the objection unless there was an emergency 10-day audit of the election results by an electoral commission.
The likely objections will force votes in the House and the Senate but they are not expected to pass.
On Wednesday, a joint session of Congress will count the certified electoral votes to confirm Joe Biden as the new President
Cotton said in a statement shared on Sunday night: 'I share the concerns of many Arkansans about irregularities in the presidential election, especially in states that rushed through election-law changes to relax standards for voting-by-mail.
'I also share their disappointment with the election results. I therefore support a commission to study the last election and propose reforms to protect the integrity of our elections.'
He added that states, not Congress, are entrusted to oversee elections and it would be a dangerous precedent for Congress to overturn the results of the November vote.
Cotton said: 'I will not oppose the counting of certified electoral votes on January 6.
At least a dozen Republican senators have signaled they will stand in the way of the President-elect in support of Trump
'I'm grateful for what the president accomplished over the past four years, which is why I campaigned vigorously for his reelection.
'But objecting to certified electoral votes won't give him a second term—it will only embolden those Democrats who want to erode further our system of constitutional government.'
Cotton has now joined other Republicans Ben Sasse, Roy Blunt and Mitt Romney who have also spoken out against their party members challenging the election.
A number of Trump supporters have expressed their displeasure at Cotton's decision online.
Dan Whitfield, an Independent candidate for Senate from Arkansas, said: 'Cotton is only worried about his own presidential race in 2024.'
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