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Did Congress swear in the wrong person? Democrats say rep was seated before election was settled

Rep. Miller-Meeks won IA election by 6 votes
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Rita Hart
Posted at 1:39 PM, Mar 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-15 13:39:29-04

WASHINGTON — You probably thought the 2020 election was over. Think again.

Congress is debating whether they swore in the wrong person in Iowa's second congressional district, which covers most of the southeastern part of the state.

THE CONTROVERSY

Iowa election officials certified the results last year.

They confirmed that Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican, defeated Democrat Rita Hart by six votes — one of the closest congressional races in history.

As a result, Congress swore in Miller-Meeks in January, giving her voting privileges.

However, Hart has petitioned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to look over the results of the election. Hart claims that there are 22 ballots that were never counted that should have been included in the final total.

COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION

Now, the House Administration Committee, which is chaired by a Democrat, is looking into the allegations.

"Each house of Congress shall be the judge of its own elections," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California said, justifying the investigation. "These allegations warrant further investigation by the committee."

Republicans, as one might imagine, are furious.

"We are having a meeting about moving forward overturning the election of one of our colleagues," said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Iowa.

As far as a potential impact, changing one seat will not change the balance of power in Washington, D.C. But it does remain a possibility, Pelosi confirmed that last week.

"There could be a scenario to that extent," Pelosi said during her weekly press conference.