Journal of the Proceedings - Pennsylvania

[Pages:38]Journal of the Proceedings of the 58th Pennsylvania

Electoral College

Held in the Chamber of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Monday, December 19, 2016 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Tom Wolf Governor

Pedro A. Cort?s Secretary of the Commonwealth

Donald J. Trump President of the

United States of America

Michael R. Pence Vice President of the

United States of America

Hillary Rodham Clinton Democratic Nominee for

President of the

United States of America

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Timothy Michael Kane Democratic Nominee for

Vice President of the

United States of America

Tom Wolf Governor

Mike Stack Lieutenant Governor

Pedro A. Cort?s Secretary of the Commonwealth

Robert A. Gleason, Jr.

President of the

Electoral College

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Joyce C. Haas Vice President of the

Electoral College

 Introductions

EXECUTIVE DEPUTY SECRETARY ROBERT TORRES Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am Robert Torres, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth. It is my honor to welcome you to the 58th Electoral College of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Please turn off cell phones and all other electronic communication devices. At this time, would you all please rise?

I would like to present to you the Honorable Pedro A. Cort?s, Secretary of the Commonwealth; the Honorable Robert Ghormoz, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of the Commonwealth; the Reverend Canon David W. Lovelace; the Honorable Thomas G. Saylor, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; and the Temporary Officers and Members of the 58th Electoral College of Pennsylvania.

Proceedings

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2016 The Electoral College of Pennsylvania convened at 12 o'clock noon, Monday, December 19, 2016, in the chamber of the House of Representatives, State Capitol Building, Harrisburg, agreeable to the Constitution and laws of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

PRESIDING -- Honorable Pedro A. Cort?s

Honorable Pedro A. Cort?s, Secretary of the Commonwealth, called the Electoral College to order.

SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORT?S Please be seated.

As Secretary of the Commonwealth, it is my honor to preside over this meeting until the Electoral College has organized for the official transaction of business as provided in Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States.

It is your solemn responsibility to translate into a formal document for transmission to the Congress of the United States the decision of the voters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at the General Election held November 8, 2016.

This being the day and the hour by the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the duly chosen Electors to meet and give their votes for President and Vice President of the United States,

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the members of the College of Electors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will now come to order.

Pledge of Allegiance

SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORT?S Please rise as Samuel Cotsarelis, Rylee Dorer, Caitlin Holland, Zeryab Ibrahim, Mikenna Mattis and Angelina Torres lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

The Reverend Canon David W. Lovelace offers the invocation.

Invocation

SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORT?S Thank you, Pages. I now call upon the Reverend Canon Lovelace and ask him to invoke God's blessing on these proceedings. REVEREND CANON DAVID W. LOVELACE Almighty God, we give thanks for this good land which we have received as our inheritance and pray that we may continue to be good stewards of all that has been entrusted to our care. As a nation, we have a history of sound government established by our founders for the sake of all who dwell in this land and the freedom to choose those who occupy leadership positions. At all levels of

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government, fill with wisdom those to whom we entrust leadership authority that we might seek justice and peace for all peoples of the world. Be present now with this 58th Electoral College of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as they fulfill their constitutional duty in the election of the President and VicePresident of the United States. Grant them wisdom and courage to decide that which serves to promote the welfare of all United States citizens. May each of us, as citizens of the United States, take seriously our responsibilities to one another for the well-being and ordering of society in our own generation. In all that we do, O Lord, grant us grace to serve and honor your most holy name we pray. Amen

Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cort?s offers remarks.

Remarks by Secretary Cort?s

SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORT?S Thank you, Canon Lovelace. Please be seated. Chief Justice Saylor, Deputy Chief of Staff Ghormoz, Canon Lovelace, distinguished Electors and honored guests: As Secretary of the Commonwealth and Temporary Presiding Officer of Pennsylvania's 58th Electoral College, I welcome you to the chamber of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. It is an honor to convene the Electoral College in this remarkable setting. This is the third Electoral College I had the privilege to temporarily preside.

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Today's proceedings remain consistent with the procedures followed when the first Electoral College convened in Pennsylvania 227 years ago. It is my belief that our Commonwealth has one of the best Electoral College ceremonies in this Nation. Before the end of the day, 538 electors around the country will cast their votes to select the President and Vice President of the United States.

The Electoral College was established by the Framers of our Constitution in Philadelphia as a compromise between those who advocated the election of the President and Vice President by the states and those who supported appointment by Congress. Under our federal system, the people of the United States vote for "electors" who in turn vote for the President and Vice President. The votes you cast today will be certified and sent to the U.S. Congress and the National Archives. On January 6, 2017, they will be counted, along with those of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, in front of a joint session of Congress. In accordance with the 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the President-Elect will be sworn-in on January 20th at 12 o'clock noon.

In 1788, James Madison, while arguing for the adoption of the United States Constitution, stated, "we may define a republic to be a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior."

Today's Electoral College proves once again that the citizens of the United States are able to establish their government by choice.

America's continuing history testifies to the enduring viability of our Grand Experiment in self-governance. As we know, President Abraham Lincoln, in his renowned Gettysburg Address, stated that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." We are still here today, heirs to these lofty ideals of elective government.

Today, the will of Pennsylvania, as expressed by the majority of the more than six (6) million citizens that voted on the November 8th General Election, is in the hands of 20 members of the Electoral College. We continue to invest our common faith in you, esteemed Electors, that you will honor the voters, this Commonwealth and our nation by adding a new chapter to America's story of free, representative democracy, under which we live.

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