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Mitch McConnell. Photo: Pool / Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell alerted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Tuesday morning that he would congratulate President-elect Joe Biden for winning the Electoral College vote.
But, but, but: McCarthy is refusing to do the same, and a group of 26 incoming GOP House members sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter asking her to investigate alleged voter fraud.
Why it matters: While the Senate majority leader is trying to return a sense of equilibrium to his chamber, McCarthy — who's already plotting his run for House speaker in 2022 — is refusing to do anything that may upset President Trump.
- As Axios scooped Tuesday evening, McConnell alerted White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about his planned congratulations, so the president would not be caught off guard.
Axios also learned McConnell placed a separate call to McCarthy, the California Republican, who serves as House minority leader.
- McCarthy ignored repeated questions from reporters Tuesday night about whether he would join McConnell in recognizing Biden’s victory.
The group of incoming Republican freshmen is showing a similar reluctance in the letter they sent Tuesday night to Pelosi.
- “Under your leadership over the past several years, the House has demonstrated a zest for all sorts of investigations, and we believe that you have the strong capacity to initiate a thorough investigation into these voting irregularities,” the letter says.