Shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, the joint session of Congress reconvened to consider the votes of the Electoral College. As lawmakers began going through their public statements, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, “We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats.”
Senator James Lankford, R-Okla., said, “We do not encourage what happened today—ever.”
He went on to thank Capitol police and said the peaceful people of his state want their questions answered.
Lawmakers are meeting just hours after violence erupted when rioters pushed past police barriers and forced their way into the U.S. Capitol. McConnell stated the joint session would continue until the votes of each state are tallied. The violence disrupted the count and the planned objections being raised by 13 Senators and 100 House members on illegal voting in six states. The process for the objections is allowed for in the Constitution.
Dark Analysis
With a woman dead and an investigation in process, Congress continues to debate the finer points of the electoral process and how to address the widespread distrust in the integrity of the vote.
Current and past leaders of the nation are blaming President Trump and even the current lawmakers for the violent acts of those who have yet to be determined as authentic Trump supporters or antifa disrupting the process and purposely dressed in pro-Trump clothing.
There has even been open discussion about lobbying Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, unseating President Trump by claiming he is unfit to fulfill the duties of President of the United States.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., addressed violence on a broader scale during his 5-minute address. He reminded his peers that 2020 has been a violent year in America.
“Violence is not how you achieve change; it’s not how you achieve change,” Hawley said. He has specifically objected to the election in Pennsylvania, a state which passed a law before the election to allow widespread mail-in ballot use contrary to the state Constitution.
The speeches and tallying will continue late into the evening. The proceedings will either certify the election as it’s been reported, or the group of objectors will be granted their request to audit an election that has been investigated and questioned since Nov. 3.
Two Senate seats are unfilled during this process. Election results for two seats in Georgia remain underdetermined from runoff elections Tuesday. With 98% of the vote in for the state, both Democrat candidates, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, currently lead. {eoa}
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