Congress on Monday formally certified President-elect Trump’s 2024 election victory.
Vice President Harris oversaw the process, affirming Trump’s victory as well as her decisive defeat to him after a whirlwind run for commander in chief. It took less than 45 minutes.
Monday also marks four years since rioters stormed the Capitol in an effort to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss, ultimately resulting in the death of several police officers.
“And we should commit to remembering Jan. 6, 2021, every year,” President Biden wrote Monday in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “To remember it as a day when our democracy was put to the test and prevailed. To remember that democracy — even in America — is never guaranteed.”
In other news on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are contending with how to best move Trump’s ambitious agenda after he declared over the weekend that he only wanted one reconciliation package.
Follow along for live updates below.
Harris: Certification without fanfare ‘should be the norm’
Harris said that a certification of presidential elections without fanfare “should be the norm” in brief remarks to reporters after she over Congress formally certifying Trump’s win.
“Today, I did what I have done my entire career, which is take seriously the oath that I have taken many times to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, which included today, performing my constitutional duty to ensure that the people of America, the voters of America, will have their votes counted, that those votes matter, and that they will determine then with the outcome of an election,” Harris said.
GOP lawmaker reflects on ‘profound cost of defending freedom’
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) was a rare GOP voice Monday condemning the 2021 attack on the Capitol and its impact on police.
“On the fourth anniversary of January 6th, we pause to honor the remarkable courage and sacrifice of the United States Capitol Police and all who defended our Capitol that day. Their courage in the face of danger upheld the ideals of our nation and reminded us of the profound cost of defending freedom,” Fitzpatrick wrote on X.
“We owe these brave men and women, as well as all our nation’s law enforcement officers, a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay, but we can honor their service and sacrifice by reaffirming our commitment to upholding and protecting the democracy they so valiantly defended.”
Many of the other GOP lawmaker tweets Monday focused on President-elect Trump’s victory.
At a House event marking the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, Fitzpatrick was the lone Republican in attendance.
Pence welcomes ‘return of order and civility’ to Jan. 6 proceedings
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who had to be evacuated four years ago as rioters stormed the Capitol and threatened him, on Monday welcomed “the return of order and civility” to the certification process.
“The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy and today, members of both parties in the House and Senate along with the vice president certified the election of our new president and vice president without controversy or objection,” Pence posted on X shortly after Trump’s certification was complete with little fanfare.
“I also commend the members of the House, Senate and the Vice President who did their duty under the Constitution of the United States, it being particularly admirable that Vice President Harris would preside over the certification of a presidential election that she lost,” Pence added.
Read the full story: Congress formally certifies Trump election win
Congress on Monday certified President-elect Trump’s electoral victory, officially cementing his win over Vice President Harris ahead of his inauguration, with no objections from any lawmakers as a tally of states was read on the House floor.
Trump captured the presidency with 312 electoral votes to Harris’s 226 — a total that was confirmed during the certification on Monday, marking the final step in the election process before Trump formally takes back the White House on Jan. 20.
Republicans gave a standing ovation in the chamber when Harris announced Trump’s victory was now certified. A bipartisan standing ovation broke out in the House chamber after Harris declared the joint session of Congress dissolved. The event lasted about 30 minutes before Harris gaveled it out.
Republicans gather around Vance
Scores of Republicans are gathering around Vice President-elect JD Vance after Congress certified his and Trump’s election victory.
Some lawmakers are taking photos and hugging the incoming vice president.
Harris formally certifies Trump victory
Vice President Harris formally certified Trump’s election victory.
Standing at the dais before a joint session of Congress, Harris announced that Trump received 312 electors, out of the 538 electors, and Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) next to her, stood up and clapped and cheered.
“Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes,” she then said and stopped while Democrats stood up to clap for her. She smiled and then tapped the gavel.
Harris ended the certification without any personal remarks and shook hands with Johnson, patting him on the shoulder. She then dissolved the joint session and walked off the podium, hugging Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who was one of the tellers.
A bipartisan standing ovation broke out in the House chamber after Harris declared the joint session of Congress dissolved.
Front-row seat
Vance has a front-row seat to the certification of his election victory: He is sitting in the front row of the House chamber.
Vance claps as Harris announces her own electoral votes
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance politely clapped along with Democrats when Vice President Harris announced the number of electoral votes she received for president.
‘On Wisconsin’ heard on floor as state’s’ votes read
Yells of “On Wisconsin” ring out on the House floor as Badger State’s electoral votes are announced for Trump and Vance.
Vance stands, claps as Ohio electoral votes read
Vice President-elect JD Vance stood up and clapped when Ohio’s electoral votes were announced in the House chamber for Trump. Vance currently represents the Buckeye State in the Senate.
Congress speeds through certification with no objections
Congress is speeding through the certification of President-elect Trump’s 2024 victory.
Tellers — two lawmakers from the House and two from the Senate — are quickly alternating as they read states and have already reached Oklahoma.
There have been no objections.
Harris business-like at helm of certification
While tellers called out the states’ results, Harris remained standing up, with her hands clasped and looking forward. The tellers moved from each state smoothly as Harris handed the electors off in a very business-like manner, never changing her expression and never clapping.
When some tellers announced that Trump won a state, Johnson, while sitting next to Harris, would clap and sometimes stand up to clap.
Vance, who was sitting among his Senate colleagues, would also clap.
Democrats in the chamber also offered applauses after states that Harris won were announced.
At nearly 30 minutes in, tellers are about halfway through reading the states results.
Democrats on Jan. 6 committee attend certification
All five of the Democrats who served on the Jan. 6 select committee and are still in Congress are on the House floor for the certification of Trump’s election: Reps. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.) and Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), and Sen. Adam Schiff (Calif.).
Former Reps. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) and Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) also served on the panel but are no longer serving in Congress.
Lauren Boebert wears black MAGA hat
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is wearing what appears to be a black MAGA hat in the House chamber as Congress counts the 2024 Electoral College votes.
Tellers reading out state electoral votes
Two Senate and two House lawmakers designated “tellers” are now going state-by-state, reading out the electoral votes.
Republicans on the House floor are clapping each time a state’s electoral votes are announced for Trump. Democrats cheered when California’s electoral votes were announced for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, her running mate.
Harris gavels in
The vice president gaveled in the joint session of Congress.
Harris called for the tellers to count and list the votes cast by the electors, calling up the tellers of the two chambers to take their place up at the clerk’s desk to begin the process.
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) was the first teller to read results.
Vance in House chamber
Vice President-elect JD Vance is in the House chamber for today’s certification vote.
Lots of lawmakers are stopping him to chat as he makes his way down the center aisle of the House floor.
Schumer marks Jan. 6, condemns potential Trump pardons of Capitol rioters
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on Monday marked the four-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol and condemned the prospective pardons of the rioters who stormed the Senate and House.
Schumer, speaking moments before lawmakers were set to convene for a joint session to certify the results of the 2024 election, recalled the chaotic scene of four years ago.
“As we were going about our business, all of a sudden I felt a hand pull my collar. My security detail gripped me by the arm and told me we had to get out, a mob of rioters had broken into the Capitol and that we were not safe,” Schumer said.
“I looked to the podium and saw Vice President Pence quickly rushed out of the chamber by his detail,” he remembered.
Harris chats with Johnson
While senators entered the Chamber, Harris and Johnson chatted for several minutes.
The vice president and speaker appeared to be having a friendly conversation, although what they discussed was not audible. Their conversation paused at times and then proceeded while senators continued to make their way to their seats and were greeted by House members.
Harris, Johnson shake hands
Vice President Harris and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shook hands as the vice president stepped on to the dais in the House chamber.
Senators are flowing into the House chamber ahead of the certification vote.
Ballots carried across Capitol to House chamber in procession
A group of Senate pages are carrying ceremonial, leather-bound boxes containing ballots from the Senate, across the Capitol and to the House chamber where the joint session of Congress will take place.
They are followed by senators.
Harris enters House chamber
Vice President Kamala Harris is entering the House chamber ahead of today’s certification of Trump’s election victory.
Harris, who lost to Trump, will preside over today’s joint session.
Jan. 6 committee members chat on floor ahead of certification
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who served as chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), another member of the panel, are chatting on the House floor ahead of Monday’s certification of Trump’s election victory.
The two Democrats were instrumental in investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot through a series of public hearings.
Harris en route to Capitol
Vice President Harris is headed to the Capitol, where she will preside over the certification process.
Harris in a video message earlier Monday discussed the importance of carrying out the certification and upholding the democratic process.
Speaker Johnson arrives at Capitol ahead of certification
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) arrived at the Capitol just after noon on Monday, ahead of the certification of Trump’s election victory — which begins at 1 p.m. today.
Asked if the process will move forward as planned and if enough lawmakers will be present to certify the election despite the snow, Johnson responded: “We’ll find out soon.”
“I believe we do. That’s the early indication, so we’ll see,” he added.
Thune: Republicans are ready to go
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) offered “congratulations” to President-elect Trump ahead of Congress preparing to certify Trump’s victory in the 2024 election and pledged “Republicans are ready to go” enact his legislative agenda in Congress.
Thune noted that Republicans improved their vote margins in nearly 90 percent of the nation’s counties and pointed out the GOP “grew support of nearly every Democratic group.”
“Now the work begins of delivering on our agenda,” he said. “Republicans are ready to go. We’re committed to ending the border crisis. We are committed to discourage[ing] actors fomenting instability join the world stage. We’re committed to strengthening our economic and fiscal future.”
Thune highlighted legislation to unleash domestic energy production and extending the expiring Trump-era tax cuts as top priorities.
And he said that the Senate’s immediate focus would be confirming Trump’s nominees to key positions and “getting President Trump’s Cabinet up and running quickly.”
“The voters sent President Trump here with a mission and we’re committed to ensuring that he has the people around him he needs to deliver,” he said.
Large security presence at Capitol ahead of certification vote
With less than two hours to go until Congress meets to certify Trump’s election, there’s a large security presence on Capitol Hill — a reminder of the riot that took place at the Capitol four years earlier.
Scores of Capitol Police officers are scattered throughout the complex, and a security fence is up around the perimeter of the building.
Jeffries marks Jan. 6 anniversary, calling protesters ‘thugs’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), on the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riots, said the Jan. 6 protesters were not “peace-loving individuals.”
“The thugs who were part of the violence mob on January 6 desecrated the Capitol, threatened to hang the Vice President, assassinate the Speaker of the House and hunt down Members of Congress,” Jeffries said in a statement posted to Bluesky. “They were not peace-loving individuals.”
Harris not first VP to certify her own loss
Kamala Harris is not the first vice president who has to certify their own election loss.
Two vice presidents in recent decades have faced the same predicament — Richard Nixon, who was vice president when he lost to President Kennedy in 1960, and Al Gore when he lost to President George W. Bush in a hard-fought battle in 2000.
Two other vice presidents, Walter Mondale in 1981 and Dan Quayle in 1993, had to preside over the certification of their own defeats for reelection.
Capitol Police chief on possible Jan. 6 pardons: ‘What message does that send?’
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger is questioning what message would be sent to police officers across the country if rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, are pardoned.
“What message does that send?” Manger told The Washington Post on Sunday, a day before the fourth anniversary of the attack.
“What message does that send to police officers across this nation, if someone doesn’t think that a conviction for an assault or worse against a police officer is something that should be upheld, given what we ask police officers to do every day?”