Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday again insisted he had no constitutional authority Jan. 6 to reject electoral votes already certified by the states.
Pence repeated his stance while speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
"There are those in our party who believe that in my position as presiding officer over the joint session that I possess the authority to reject or return electoral votes certified by the states,” Pence said. "The Constitution provides the vice president with no such authority before the joint session of Congress."
Former President Donald Trump and some supporters wanted Pence, who presided over a joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes, to reject the totals from the 2020 election. They said voter fraud had led to President Joe Biden’s victory.
After Pence said he would not try to stop the certification of votes, demonstrators stormed the Capitol to try and stop the process.
"The truth is, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president," Pence said. "And I will always be proud that we did our part on that tragic day to reconvene the Congress and fulfilled our duty under the Constitution."
Pence, considered a potential 2024 presidential contender, has been rejected by some GOP members for not doing what Trump asked. He was recently heckled during remarks at a conservative conference, according to The Hill.
Toward the end of his 40-minute speech Thursday, Pence said Republicans always “will keep our oath to the Constitution.”
"I understand the disappointment many feel about the last election. I can relate. I was on the ballot," he said. "But you know, there’s more at stake than our party and political fortunes in this moment. If we lose faith in the Constitution, we won’t just lose elections, we’ll lose our country.
"Now, more than ever, America needs the Republican Party to be the party of the Constitution on the United States."
Pence recently said he talks to Trump but "doesn’t know" if the two men will "ever see eye to eye" about the Capitol assault.
At a library gathering focused on the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement, Pence reminded people how former President Ronald Reagan once was "one of a kind" man opposed by moderate politicians and a national media.
"Today, I think we find ourselves in a very similar position," he said. "President Donald Trump is also one of a kind. He, too, disrupted the status quo. He challenged the establishment. He invigorated our movement and he set a bold new course for America in the 21st Century. And now, as then, there is no going back."
Pence credited Trump with teaching people "what Republicans can accomplish when leaders stand firm on conservative principles and don’t back down."
"That’s exactly what we did everyday of the Trump-Pence administration," Pence said. "We stood firm, and did not back down.
"I like to say it was four years of consequence, four years of results, four years of promises made and promises kept."
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