GOP senator offers to 'personally escort' McCormick to Senate orientation after Schumer hold

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has offered to "personally escort" Republican Pennsylvania Senator-elect Dave McCormick into the Capitol to attend the new-senator orientation after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., moved to block him. 

"I’m willing to personally escort @DaveMcCormickPA into the Capitol for new-senator orientation. I’d like to see how they’d keep him out if he literally walked into ‘the room where it happens’," Lee wrote from his personal X account Sunday.

Lee said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, "has indicated he’ll join the effort." 

"I’d welcome other senators to join us!" Lee added. 

"I’ll be right there alongside you, Mike," Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, responded. "Dave McCormick is the Senator-elect for Pennsylvania. And deserves to be at orientation alongside every other member of his freshman class."

SCHUMER WON'T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS

A Schumer spokesperson told Fox News Digital that McCormick was not invited because at the time there were still "over 100,000 ballots left to be counted" in Pennsylvania's Senate race, claiming that the contest "has not been decided." 

"As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted," the spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital reached out to McCormick's campaign for comment on Schumer's refusal and Lee's offer, but they did not immediately respond.

On Monday, McCormick said on X that he was "looking forward" to attending orientation but did not provide more information. 

"Looking forward to joining the Senate freshman class of 2025 for orientation this week!" he wrote. "I’m honored to represent the people of Pennsylvania, and will fight hard to make sure their voices are heard in Washington. Let’s get to work!" 

The Associated Press on Thursday called the race in favor of McCormick over three-term Democratic incumbent Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey. Casey has not conceded, citing the thousands of ballots still to be counted. 

"I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election," Casey wrote on X on Thursday. "It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born. We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted. That is what Pennsylvania deserves." 

According to the Pennsylvania elections results website, McCormick led Casey by 40,145 votes as of Monday morning, a margin of 0.58%, just above the margin that triggers an automatic recount.

McCormick was leading by more than 30,000 votes when the AP called the race at 4:09 p.m. Thursday. Though there were an estimated 91,000 votes still outstanding at that time, the AP asserted that there were not enough in areas supporting Casey for him to make up the difference. In an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," McCormick said he was up by "by something like 40,000 votes, which is a very significant margin," so "mathematically, there's no path for Senator Casey to win." 

"And ultimately, Senator Casey’s going to have to decide when he’s willing to acknowledge that," McCormick added. 

PA SEN-ELECT MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR DECADES OF SERVICE AS DEMOCRAT DECLINES TO CONCEDE

"Schumer is not allowing @DaveMcCormickPA to participate in Senate orientation this week because Casey refuses to concede the race," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote on X. "What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?" 

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, also had not been invited to the new-senator orientation. While he is ahead, the AP has yet to call the Arizona Senate race between Gallego and Republican Kari Lake. 

The winner will replace outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party two years ago. 

"In 2018 my race wasn’t called for 6 days. I jumped on a redeye to DC to make senate orientation-I learned so much & made lasting relationships that week," Sinema wrote on X. "Dave McCormick & Ruben Gallego will be Senators for PA & AZ. They should be invited to orientation & start learning the job."

Fox News' Julia Johnson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.