Bill Cassidy warns GOP 'can't stand if we are divided'
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Sen. Bill Cassidy acknowledged on Sunday that Joe Biden won the Nov. 3 presidential election and urged the Republican Party to unify as the Electoral College votes Monday on the election.
"As Abraham Lincoln said, a house divided against itself cannot stand," the Louisiana Republican said on CNN's "State of the Union." "Our nation, our conservative movement, our Republican Party can't stand if we are divided against ourselves. So, at some point, we have to come together for all those reasons.”
Asked whether the GOP will accept Biden as president-elect, Cassidy noted that President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders "have clearly in their actions acknowledged that Biden has won."
"Obviously, he is the president-elect. He has 270 Electoral College votes," Cassidy said. "As we're a nation of laws, and this is the Constitution, and this is the law, and this is how it breaks out, and the courts have ruled, then President Biden's going to be our next president."
Cassidy added that "clearly, there's still disappointment," in Trump's loss, but "in terms of the functional aspect of actually beginning the transition, that has begun" for Biden to take over the presidency on Jan. 20.
"Is there going to be a mea culpa?" Cassidy asked. "I don't know that. I don't know if it's needed ... even though I know some people want it.”
Separately, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said the legal process must "play out" on "Fox News Sunday" and didn't acknowledge Biden as the president-elect when asked by host Chris Wallace.
Additionally, Cassidy cited the $908 billion stimulus bill a group of bipartisan negotiators plan to unveil Monday and predicted a final deal before Congress leaves for Christmas.
"We’re the only one where people have come together from both parties and said, ‘Listen, I’m not with you on that, but if you give me this, I’ll give you that because we’ve gotta do something for the American people,’” Cassidy said.
