The House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday convened for a joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes. The move, coming two months after Election Day and two weeks before Inauguration Day, marks the final step in confirming President-elect Joe Biden‘s victory and comes amid President Donald Trump‘s continued refusal to concede.
The joint session of Congress is required by law, and while CBS News notes the meeting is typically a ceremonial affair, this year’s session is marred by continued attempts to overturn the results of the November election. Biden won both the popular vote and electoral college vote, which he was projected to win 306-232, with 270 votes needed to win the presidency, though the results have been contested ever since. The Trump campaign launched multiple legal efforts to overturn the election, most of which were dismissed, and headed into Wednesday’s count, a coalition of Republicans from both chambers planned to object to some states’ election results over alleged election irregularities.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Objections to election results played out on Capitol Hill when, shortly after the joint session began, GOP lawmakers objected to results from Arizona. This objection means the session will extend into Wednesday evening and possibly beyond. According to CNN, “for each state where a House member and senator object, the two chambers will separately recess and debate the matter for up to two hours, followed by a vote on whether to accept or reject the objection.” Following the objection to Arizona’s Electoral College votes, lawmakers retired to the House and Senate chambers. Speaking from the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the challenges, warning “democracy would enter a death spiral” should the electoral college vote be overturned.
“If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side our democracy would enter a death spiral. We’d never see the whole nation accept the election again,” McConnell said. “I believe protecting our constitutional order requires respecting the limits of our own power. It would be unfair and wrong to disenfranchise American voters and overrule the courts and states on this extraordinary thin basis. …I will vote to respect the people’s decision and defend our system of government as we know it.”
As the proceedings continue Wednesday, they are being presided over by Vice President Mike Pence. The president has tried to pressure Pence to reject the results. Pence, in an open letter to Congress Wednesday, said it is his “considered judgement that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.” It is unlikely that Republican challenges will change the results of the election.
