Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman Strongly Condemns Capitol Violence

MANASSAS, VA — A day after a scene broke out outside the U.S. Capitol that President-elect Joe Biden characterized as “chaos”, Rep. Rob Wittman condemned the violence that took place as supporters of President Donald Trump rallied to stop the certifying of the Electoral College votes.

In a statement issued Thursday, Wittman — who represents Virginia’s 1st Congressional District — called Wednesday a “blemish on this nation.”

“I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the acts of violence that occurred at the Capitol building,” Wittman said in the statement. “We may disagree on policy and who we support for President, but this country is built on law and order. We must continue to stand for the great American tradition of peaceful disagreement and debate rather than anarchy and violence.”

Wittman was among more than 100 Congressmen who voted against the Electoral College votes in Pennsylvania overnight as Biden’s victory over Trump was certified. The measure to oppose certifying the Pennsylvania count was defeated 138-282 and the Republican said in his statement Thursday that the oath he took to defend the Constitution led him to vote against the Pennsylvania results.

Wittman said the evidence is “clear” that Pennsylvania failed to follow the laws and constitutional tenants that govern its election. He said that the legal challenge to the results there are still underway and on the docket of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a statement issued Monday, Wittman said he was going into Wednesday’s certification with an open mind, but that he welcomed the debate that took place. While he decried the violence that took place on Wednesday which forced lawmakers to shift the certification process to Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, Wittman defended his decision to challenge the results in Pennsylvania and encouraged the Supreme Court to “act quickly” to address that commonwealth’s “unconstitutional procedures.”

Wittman said he did not oppose the Electoral College results in Arizona but maintained his support of examining all evidence in all states where Constitutional questions have been raised. He said the time has come to “move forward” as a country and wished blessings to Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

“Regardless of my personal opinion of who I believe is best to lead this country, this is bigger than just this election,” Wittman said in his statement on Thursday. “This is about upholding the Constitution and ensuring integrity and faith in elections to come. Americans’ concerns deserve to be heard; we must have faith in the electoral process and continue to take steps to ensure fair and free elections.”