# Congressional Record/Volume 167/Issue 4/Senate/Counting of Electoral Ballots/Arizona Objection Debate

​The Vice President. Pursuant to S. Con. Res. 1 and section 17, title III, U.S. Code, when the two Houses withdraw from the joint session to count the electoral vote for separate consideration of an objection, a Senator may speak to the objection for 5 minutes and not more than once. Debate shall not exceed 2 hours, after which the Chair will put the question: Shall the objection be sustained?
​The clerk will report the objection made in the joint session.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Objection from Representative Gosar from Arizona and Senator Cruz and others, “We, a Member of the House of Representatives and a United States Senator, object to the counting of the electoral votes of the State of Arizona on the ground that they were not, under all of the known circumstances, regularly given.”
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER
The Vice President. The majority leader is recognized.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the majority leader and the Democratic leader be allowed to speak and that following their remarks, the majority leader and the Democratic leader each control up to 1 hour of debate time and be authorized to yield up to 5 minutes of that time to any Senator seeking recognition. Further, I ask unanimous consent that the Senators be permitted to insert statements into the Record.
The Presiding Officer. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Vice President. The majority leader.
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
The Vice President. The Democratic leader is recognized.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Texas, Senator Cruz.
The Vice President. The Senator from Texas.
​Mr. Schumer. Senator Klobuchar.
The Vice President. The Senator from Minnesota.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Pennsylvania, Senator Toomey.
The Vice President. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. Mr. President, the Senator from the great State of Arizona, Senator Sinema.
The Vice President. The Senator from Arizona.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Lankford.
The Vice President. The Senator from Oklahoma.
​(Mr. Grassley assumed the Chair.)
Mr. Lankford. My challenge today is not about the good people of Arizona.
RECESS SUBJECT TO THE CALL OF THE CHAIR
The President pro tempore. The Senate will stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair.
Thereupon, the Senate, at 2:13 p.m., recessed subject to the call of the Chair and reassembled at 8:06 p.m. when called to order by the Vice President of the United States.
The Vice President. The Vice President, as President of the Senate, would like to give a brief statement with the indulgence of the Senate.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the majority leader and the Democratic leader be allowed to speak and that the time not count against the 2 hours of debate in relation to the objection raised on the State of Arizona.
The Vice President. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. Vice President, I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Lankford.
The Vice President. The Senator from Oklahoma.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto.
The Vice President. The Senator from Nevada.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. Vice President, I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Utah, Senator Lee.
The Vice President. The Senator from Utah.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from Colorado, Mr. Bennet.
The Vice President. The Senator from Colorado.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Georgia, Senator Loeffler.
The Vice President. The Senator from Georgia.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. I yield 2½ minutes to Senator Booker and 2½ minutes to Senator Kaine, in reverse order.
The Vice President. The Senator from Virginia.
​I yield to my colleague from New Jersey.
The Vice President. The Senator from New Jersey.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. Vice President, I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Nebraska, Mr. Sasse.
The Vice President. The Senator from Nebraska.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin.
The Vice President. The Senator from Illinois.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Kansas, Senator Marshall.
The Vice President. The Senator from Kansas.
​The Vice President. The minority leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from Illinois, Senator Duckworth.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Kentucky, Senator Paul.
The Vice President. The Senator from Kentucky.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from Virginia, Senator Warner.
The Vice President. The Senator from Virginia.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Hawley.
The Vice President. The Senator from Missouri.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Casey.
The Vice President. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Utah, Mr. Romney.
The Vice President. The Senator from Utah.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. The Senator from New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen.
The Vice President. The Senator from New Hampshire.
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I yield up to 5 minutes to the Senator from Ohio, Senator Portman.
The Vice President. The Senator from Ohio.
​The Vice President. The Democratic leader.
Mr. Schumer. Mr. President, I believe we have 8 minutes left, so I would like to divide 4 to Senator King and 4 to Senator Van Hollen.
The Vice President. That is correct.
The Senator from Maine.
​The Vice President. The Senator from Maryland.
* Van Hollen Speech
* Leahy Speech
* Feinstein Speech
* Carper Speech
* Cardin Speech
* Tillis Speech
* Kelly Speech
* Lummis Speech
​The Vice President. The majority leader.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from South Carolina, Senator Graham.
The Vice President. The Senator from South Carolina.