Congress confirmed the election of Joe Biden as president early Thursday morning, a day after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
The House of Representatives and the Senate, in two separate votes in both chambers, rejected initiatives by some Republicans to hinder the acceptance of Electoral College wins for Biden in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Biden, a Democrat, and his running mate, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, garnered 306 votes in the Electoral College, 36 more than needed to seal a White House victory. Meanwhile, Trump, a Republican, took only 232 votes.
Vice President Mike Pence presented the tallies at around 3:40 a.m. ET after lawmakers accepted the result. He gaveled the session closed at 3:44 a.m.
After Biden's confirmation, Trump sent a message through Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff for communications, stating there would be “an orderly transition on January 20th.”
The certification of an Electoral College win is a formality by Congress. However, Trump’s refusal for the past two months to concede without valid evidence that there was ballot fraud made the process complicated.
Trump repeatedly pressured Pence to not accept Biden’s win unilaterally by refusing to validate some ballots for the Democrat.
However, Pence, in a letter issued Wednesday, refused to do so, stressing he did not have such legal right to do so as the presiding officer in the joint session to toss out ballots.
Congress started the process of counting Electoral College votes Wednesday afternoon. However, it was interrupted by Trump's supporters who invaded the Capitol.
Trump urged Capitol Hill protesters to “go home” through a video on Twitter. However, he did not address demonstrations at state buildings. Still, he repeatedly claims the election was stolen from him.
Back to work
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a letter to colleagues explained that the decision to resume counting votes despite the riot was consulted with political leaders including Pence.
“Our purpose will be accomplished,” Pelosi said as she reconvened the House’s session, about an hour after the Senate resumed its own proceedings.
“Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” Pence said. “We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms,” said the vice president, who previously served as a congressman from Indiana.
“The violence was quelled, the Capitol is secured, and the people’s work continues,” Pence said.
“To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins,” he said.
“Let’s get back to work.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, “The United States Senate will not be intimidated.”
“We are back at our posts, we will discharge our duty,” McConnell said. “We assembled this afternoon to count our citizens’ votes, and to formalize their choice of president.”
“We will certify the winner of the 2020 presidential election,” he concluded.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Trump “undoubtedly our worst president,” and whom he said, “bears a great deal of the blame” for the riot.
“This mob was in good part President Trump’s doing,” said Schumer. “His responsibility, his everlasting shame.”
