GOP senators Ted Cruz, of Texas, and Josh Hawley, of Missouri, are facing rising anger from Senate Democrats and Republicans alike, who blame them for the mob that attacked the Capitol last week. Now, they are facing a possible vote on a censure resolution in the Senate, and even expulsion from the Senate.
Several Democratic senators have called on Hawley and Cruz to resign and Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) have called for them to be expelled if they don’t step down voluntarily.
According to The Hill, there is a bipartisan discussion about censuring the two lawmakers for helping to incite protesters who temporarily halted the counting of the Electoral College last week after overrunning Capitol Police.
The news outlet noted that several Republican colleagues are also angry at Cruz and Hawley for their role in the attack.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) told NPR that Hawley “was doing something that was really dumbass” in challenging the Electoral College votes.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) reportedly was heard yelling at Cruz and Hawley “this is what you’ve gotten guys,” according to The Hill.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) went on Fox News and accused the pair of “perpetuating really the big lie, that Donald Trump won in a landslide and it’s all been stolen from him. That’s not true and we know that’s not true.”
Hawley won election to his first term and Cruz won re-election to his second term in 2018, which means they won’t face voters again until 2024
Though GOP criticism of the pair has been increasing, President Trump is even more widely blamed for the debacle.
A Democratic senator would need to sponsor a resolution to censure or expel Hawley or Cruz for there to be a vote on either option.
