Senator challenges election results - Argentina legalizes abortion - Minimum wage increase

The move by Mr. Hawley, Republican of Missouri, is unlikely to alter the outcome of the election, but it will force Republicans to publicly affirm President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory in a politically fraught test of loyalty to President Trump. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, had privately urged lawmakers this month to refrain from registering an objection. But Mr. Hawley hinted on Wednesday that other senators could soon join his effort.
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Mr. Hawley, who swept into Washington in 2019 after defeating the incumbent Democrat, Claire McCaskill, has embraced Mr. Trump’s brand of populism in his short time in the Senate, pushing for $2,000 pandemic relief checks and railing against social media companies. He is widely considered a potential contender for the 2024 presidential election.
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Mr. Hawley’s challenge is not unprecedented, even in the modern era. Democrats in both the House and Senate challenged certification of the 2004 election results and House Democrats tried on their own to challenge the 2016 and 2000 outcomes, though without Senate support. But in none of those cases did they have backing from most party leaders or their defeated presidential nominee. The objection will force the Senate to debate Mr. Hawley’s claim for up to two hours, followed by a vote affirming Mr. Biden’s victory.