Rep. Zeldin Calls For 'Peaceful Transition Of Power'

LONG ISLAND, NY — One day after a mob of rioters swarmed the nation's capital — and after he voted to object to the certification of the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) called for "a peaceful transition of power."

Zeldin said the certification of Electoral College results means that on Jan. 20, Biden will be sworn in as president and Kamala Harris, as vice-president — and he said it was time for the nation to come together.

“For our nation to thrive, we need our economy growing, our national security strong, our freedoms defended, our Constitution protected, and so much more," he said. "Moving forward, there will be continued debate and there will be disagreement, but out of that must be a healthy, guarded and even thriving republic. Right now, I am not going to dwell on any doubt, but to recommit to working towards a vigorous defense of lady liberty at all costs, and the pursuit of unity whenever possible."

Zeldin discussed Wednesday's attack on the Capital that left five people dead where he said he witnessed, from inside the House chamber, "the best of America clash with some of the worst of it in a moment of my life I will never forget."

He then said he loved the United States and asked for prayers for unity and for "a peaceful transition of power. For this moment, let's take one collective deep breath, recharge, and renew our spirit for whatever lies ahead. We are all Americans."

A total of 121 Republican members of the House voted to object to Arizona's election votes securing Biden's victory. Some Republicans who planned to object reversed course after rioters stormed the Capitol, but Zeldin, a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, maintained his stance.

"Rogue election officials, secretaries of state, and courts circumvented state election laws," he said on the House floor. "They made massive changes to how their state's election would be run. These acts, among other issues, were unlawful and unconstitutional."

He then called out Democrats.

"Democrats have objected every time a Republican presidential candidate has won an election over the past generation," he said.

Zeldin's stance sparked outrage among some of his constituents.

"Any elected official that continues down this line of lies and misinformation doesn't deserve to serve the good people of the United States of America," said Jim Shaw of Greenport.

Perry Gershon, a Democrat who lost a primary bid to challenge Zeldin, wrote in a Facebook post: "Yesterday's events in DC left a permanent scar on our great nation ... But for those of us in NY CD-1, it's that much worse to know that our own representative Lee Zeldin was on the side against democracy. His desire to curry favor with Trump and his constant efforts putting ambition over country should not go unnoticed."

Kathryn Casey Quigley, chair of the Southold Town Democratic Committee, said about Zeldin: "You are not defending the republic, you are feeding the destruction of our democracy."

Republicans, she said, "must reject the lies and untruths vocally and forcefully, and if they can't they should resign. If we are interested in preserving our democracy, those who violate its tenets must be held to account. Without that, I don't know how we can possibly rebuild." She said the role of white supremacy in Wednesday's events should be acknowledged and understood.

Before his objection vote, Zeldin decried the rioters who stormed the Capitol.

"This is not the America we all love," Zeldin said in a statement. "We can debate and we can disagree ... We can all passionately love our country, but in our republic, we elect people to represent us to voice our objections in the House and Senate ... there must be zero tolerance for violence."