So, I understand that the law does not allow Vice-President Pence to refuse to submit any certified electoral votes. What I don’t know is—what happens if he does it anyway? I mean, what is the actual sequence of events? If he is presiding, can the Senate (with the House) have him removed? How would that work procedurally? The Sergeant-at-Arms could, in theory, enforce a removal, but who would have the authority to request it, if Pence is in the chair? Some sort of motion by a Senator—but why would Pence recognize such a motion?
Again: I don’t think that the Vice-President will in fact do anything of the kind, but it’s at least possible, and I don’t have any idea how it would play out. It’s the sort of thing that leads to videos I’ve seen of other countries’ parliaments having fisticuffs in the chamber, innit.
Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.
So, this post hasn’t really aged well, has it? But I have to say that the Vice-President appeared to behave pretty much correctly when he took the gavel and at the objection. Not much of what happened today was his fault in the specific sense of today’s actions. So there’s that, anyway.
Thanks,
-V.
Ah, the quaintly hypothetical worries of *glances at watch* four hours ago