Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday set off a media firestorm when he implied that he and not Vice President Mike Pence would handle certification of the Electoral College results, before he quickly walked back the remark.
“We don’t expect him to be there,” Grassley said Tuesday during a call with agriculture reporters, according to Roll Call.
Minutes later, the Iowa Republican’s office said there’s “every indication” Pence will be present Wednesday in his role as president of the Senate and that Grassley would preside only when Pence isn’t in the room.
President Trump made clear he wants Pence to take an active role, tweeting after Grassley’s walk-back, “The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.”
Pence’s office did not immediately issue a statement clarifying his intentions.
How Pence handles disputes over President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win will have a significant impact on his political future, including the potential composition of the 2024 GOP ticket.
Grassley, 87, is president pro tempore of the Senate and would preside if Pence were to bow out from what’s expected to be a grueling debate over electors.
Trump has not conceded and says fraud tipped the election to Biden in critical swing states, but his claims have failed in court. The GOP senators’ objections to Biden’s victory also are certain to fail — but they will likely delay certification of the vote for hours.
In order to succeed, an objection would need to be embraced by both the House and Senate. The House is controlled by Democrats and in the Senate, a number of Republican senators say they will oppose the objections.
But each objection could be subject to up to two hours of debate before a vote on each one.
Pence previously fought in court against a lawsuit from Republican lawmakers who support Trump, who sought to force Pence to reject some of Biden’s electors. That lawsuit was unsuccessful.
At a Monday night rally in Georgia, Trump warned that he would sour on Pence if he didn’t support at least 13 Republican senators objecting to Biden’s victory.
“I hope Mike Pence comes through for us,” Trump told a large crowd in Dalton, Ga. “If he doesn’t come through I won’t like him quite as much.”