fbpx

1/07 Election Results Certified Amid Violence and a Concession (Finally)

Published: 1.7.21

Americans are still reeling from the violent scenes of Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol yesterday in an attempt to undermine our sacred democratic process. These insurrectionists occupied the Capitol building and desecrated its halls, forcing Congress to suspend the Joint Session. After law enforcement restored order to the Capitol, lawmakers continued their count of the Electoral College votes and affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Yesterday’s events will leave a stain on our country’s history. The last time a large, violent group surged upon the Capitol this way was during the War of 1812. Throughout the day and since, lawmakers urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and force Trump’s removal from office. Late this evening, after his 12-hour ban from Twitter was lifted, President Trump posted a subdued 2-minute long video of concession, finally.

Below you can find an update on the joint session, calls to remove the President, and proposed mail-in ballot changes in Georgia.

National Update

Election Result Certification: Congress’s Joint Session continued late into the night and culminated in the official certification of the Electoral College’s votes. While the mob violence compelled some potential objectors to reverse course, dozens of lawmakers continued to raise objections.

Before Congress was forced to suspend its joint session, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) objected to Arizona’s election results, forcing a debate. The objection was voted down 93-6 in the Senate and 303-121 in the House. After Congress reconvened, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Sen. Joshua Hawley (R-MO) objected to Pennsylvania’s election results. After a floor debate, the objection was rejected by a vote of 92-7 in the Senate and 282-138 in the House.

Holding the President Accountable: A growing number of leaders and policymakers have pointed to Trump’s public instigations of violence and continued attacks on democratic norms as evidence that he is unfit for office. The four former bipartisan Secretaries of Homeland Security who founded and lead Citizens for a Strong Democracy Citizens released a statement today calling for accountability for the President and the extremists who attacked the Capitol. Over 100 lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have called for Trump’s removal from office either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Yesterday’s events have also prompted officials within the Trump Administration to resign, including Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

All Eyes on Capitol Police: U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund is resigning amid criticism of the department’s response to rioters who stormed the Capitol in protest of President Donald Trump’s election loss. His resignation will go into effect on Jan. 16, just a few days shy of President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration and the announcement comes shortly after the head of the department’s union called for a “change at the top.” Read more here. Georgia: Following the historic victories of Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections, Republican state legislators have proposed multiple bills to severely restrict absentee voting. These strict limitations are the latest in a series of efforts to suppress voter turnout and mail-in-ballot numbers, both of which reached record highs in the latest Senate election and contributed to Warnock’s and Ossoff’s wins.

Social Media

Follow the Voter Protection Program on Twitter to stay updated on the latest voter protection news.