Washington
CNN
—
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell and scores of different GOP lawmakers threw their assist behind Donald Trump on Thursday as they requested the US Supreme Court docket to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court ruling eradicating him from that state’s poll.
In a friend-of-the-court brief, the Republicans argue that the Colorado Supreme Court docket “severely intrudes” on Congress’ energy by permitting the Structure’s “insurrectionist ban” to be enforced with out authorization from Congress.
“Disqualification below Part 3 is a very harsh end result, and the Fourteenth Modification’s personal textual content confirms that Congress, representing the Nation’s numerous pursuits and constituencies, is one of the best choose of when to authorize Part 3’s affirmative enforcement,” the lawmakers advised the justices of their temporary.
The Colorado ruling “will solely supercharge state officers to conjure bases for labeling political opponents as having engaged in riot,” they added, arguing that the justices ought to overturn the choice “to attenuate the partisan incentive besides opponents off the poll” below the 14th Modification’s “insurrectionist ban.”
Lots of the arguments by the group of lawmakers, led by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz and Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise and joined by 177 different members of Congress, are just like these being pushed by Trump and his allies, together with that the “insurrectionist ban” doesn’t apply to presidents, because the Colorado courtroom held.
“The Court docket want solely conclude that the President isn’t an ‘officer of the USA.’ This gives yet one more easy and clear foundation for reversing the choice under,” they wrote.
The US Supreme Court docket agreed earlier this month to assessment the Colorado ruling, which stated Trump is constitutionally ineligible to run in 2024 as a result of the 14th Modification’s ban on insurrectionists holding workplace covers his conduct on January 6, 2021.
Trump is anticipated to file his opening temporary within the case on Thursday. The submitting will lay out his arguments for why the 9 justices ought to overturn the Colorado ruling.
Oral arguments within the case are set for February 8.