(AP Photo)
Following a day unlike anything the nation has seen in over 200 years, a joint session of Congress has certified the Electoral College votes showing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris winning the 2020 election 306-232.
That announcement by Vice President Mike Pence came just before 4am CST.
Wednesday, protestors waving Trump MAGA flags breached security lines at the U.S. Capitol, overwhelming Capitol Police and forcing their way into the building through doors and busted windows as the Senate and House were considering an objection to the Electoral College votes submitted by Arizona.
Senators, Congressmen, and Capitol staffers were rushed from the chambers and placed in lockdown throughout the building as protestors made their way into offices and onto the floor of both the Senate and House. Fire extinguishers and chemical repellants were deployed by police to push the protestors back, and an armed standoff occurred in the House chamber behind a barricaded door.
One female protestor was shot by police, dying soon thereafter, and and three others experienced medical emergencies, also dying, according to Capitol Police. A number of police were treated for injuries resulting from the melee as well.
After security was restored and the Capitol was cleared, the Senate and House resumed their business, taking up the Arizona objection. Less Senators ultimately agreed to the objection than was anticipated following the Capitol breach, taking a more somber tone as the evening wore on.
Mississippi’s U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith split on the objection for Arizona with Wicker voting to certify and Hyde-Smith supporting the objection. That vote was 93-6.
“The people I represent do not believe the presidential election was constitutional and cannot accept the Electoral College decision; therefore, I cannot in good conscience support certification,” Hyde-Smith said, in part, in a statement released after her vote.
Mississippi U.S. Senators split on the vote to certify the Presidential election over the objection to Arizona’s electoral votes. @SenatorWicker votes to certify while @SenHydeSmith objects. pic.twitter.com/btTv99TPqX
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) January 7, 2021
The House also rejected the objection of Arizona by a vote of 303-121.
All three of Mississippi’s Republican Congressmen – Trent Kelly (MS-01), Michael Guest (MS-03) and Steven Palazzo (MS-04) – voted to object to the Arizona Electoral College votes while Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS-02) voted to certify.
The U.S. House has voted against the objection of the Arizona #ElectoralCollege votes. 121 House Republicans objected. pic.twitter.com/ZGLfTNGMH1
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) January 7, 2021
Objections were then raised by House members pertaining to the Electoral College votes in Georgia, Michigan and Nevada, but no Senator signed on to the objections effectually denying the chance for those objections to be heard.
However, a similar scenario to Arizona played out in both chambers when Pennsylvania’s Electoral College votes were announced. Again, both chambers departed the joint session to consider the objection and both chambers defeated the objection overwhelmingly.
Mississippi Senator Wicker voted to certify Pennsylvania while Senator Hyde-Smith objected. This time the total 92-7 in the Senate.
Objection was raised regarding Pennsylvania’s #ElectoralCollege votes. @SenHydeSmith voted to object as she did with Arizona’s while @SenatorWicker voted to certify. pic.twitter.com/BwBR297mWI
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) January 7, 2021
In the House, Mississippi Republican Congressman backed the Pennsylvania objection and Democrat Congressman Thompson voted to certify. The House vote was 282-138 on Pennsylvania.
The U.S. House did not agree to the objection regarding Pennsylvania #ElectoralCollege votes. More Republicans supported this objection than the one for Arizona. pic.twitter.com/RB5N6phTHl
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) January 7, 2021
No other objections were raised and the process ended not long before dawn on Thursday. At the conclusion of counting the Electoral ballots, Vice President Pence reported to the Joint Session that the votes would be recorded showing Biden-Harris as winning 306-232. They then adjourned.
Following the certification, Dan Scavino at the White House tweeted this statement from President Trump:
“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!”
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram all placed a temporary ban on the President’s social media accounts following the events of the day.
Frank Corder
