How Three Minutes of Chaos Prevented Supreme Court Review

At 1:03 PM, before the motions could be floored, Capitol Police informed leadership of an imminent breach. Pelosi suspended the session. The motions died unspoken.

The Mechanism

The Constitution requires specific procedures when electoral votes are challenged. Written objection, signed by both a Representative and Senator, triggers mandatory two-hour debate in each chamber. This debate, regardless of outcome, creates standing for judicial review.

The Founders designed this safeguard for precisely such moments—when states dispute federal election integrity. The Supreme Court that had rejected all 2020 challenges for “lack of standing” would have been forced to hear a case with proper congressional standing.

This is what those three minutes prevented. Not certification—that was never in danger. But the creation of a constitutional record that would have compelled Supreme Court review.

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