US Capitol attack: Official congress nod to Joe Biden’s victory

Congress reconvened on Thursday to complete the process of certifying Joe Biden’s victory, after a mob protesting Donald Trump’s defeat invaded the US Capitol.

US Vice-President Mike Pence presides over a joint session of congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results on Thursday. Picture: AFP

Congress reconvened on Thursday to complete the process of certifying Joe Biden’s victory, after a mob protesting Donald Trump’s defeat invaded the US Capitol and plunged Washington into chaos.

“As we reconvene in this chamber, the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy,” Vice-President Mike Pence said as he reopened the ­Senate session. “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins, freedom wins. And this is still the people’s house.”

The House of Representatives also resumed its session, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi telling members they would stay “as long as it takes” to finish the certification of Electoral College votes, the final formal step affirming Mr Biden’s win.

Both chambers were forced into recess earlier as they were debating the objection by some ­Republicans to the count in ­Arizona, a swing state that voted for Mr Biden.

Members of both parties re-­entered their chambers under heavy security escorts hours after the siege, during which security agents drew weapons inside the house chamber during a standoff that left politicians fearing for their lives.

Several senators who had intended to support the objection ­reversed course following the vio­lence, including Kelly Loeffler, who on Wednesday lost her ­special election in Georgia in a run-off that led to Democrats gaining control of the chamber.

“When I arrived in Washington this morning, I fully intended to object to certification of electoral votes,” she said on the floor. “However, the events … today have forced me to reconsider; I cannot in good conscience object to the certification of these electors.”

The Senate’s Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, sought to present a united front against the rioters. “The US Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats,” he said. “We’re going to finish exactly what we started ... and we will certify the winner of the 2020 presidential election.”

The Senate and house then overwhelmingly rejected the ­objections to certifying Arizona’s electoral vote for Mr Biden.

Senators voted 93-6 against the effort to reject Arizona’s 11 electoral votes, overcoming the first of what could have been multiple hurdles to the certification. The house voted 303-121 against the objection, with 82 ­Republicans ­siding with the Democrats.

The networks reported members of Mr Trump’s cabinet on Thursday discussed the possibility of removing him from office under the 25th amendment, which ­allows for a president’s removal by the vice-president and cabinet if he is judged “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”.

Invoking it would require Mr Pence to lead the cabinet in a vote on removing him. CNN quoted unnamed Republican leaders saying Mr Trump was “out of control”. CBS said “nothing formal” had been presented to Mr Pence.

Democrats of the house judiciary committee sent a letter to Mr Pence urging him to act to ­remove Mr Trump, saying he had stoked an act of insurrection and “sought to undermine our democracy.” Pointing to a rambling speech Mr Trump gave on Wednesday, it said he “revealed he is not mentally sound and is still unable to process and accept the ­results of the 2020 election.”

AFP