Congress certifies Biden win, Trump vows 'orderly transition'
2021-01-07
Vice President Mike Pence enters the House chamber, after the Congress reconvened to certify the Electoral College votes of the 2020 presidential election, in Washington, US Jan 7, 2021. [Photo/Agencies]
WASHINGTON - Hours after hundreds of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol, a shaken Congress on Thursday formally certified Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.
Late on Wednesday houses of Congress resumed their work on certifying Biden's Electoral College win, with debate stretching into the early hours of Thursday. After debate, the Senate and the House of Representatives rejected two objections to the tally and certified the final Electoral College vote with Biden receiving 306 votes and Trump 232 votes.
Vice President Mike Pence, in declaring the final vote totals behind Biden's victory, said this "shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected president and vice president of the United States".
Some prominent Republicans in Congress strongly criticized Trump, putting the blame for the day's violence squarely on his shoulders.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are due to take office on Jan 20.
Trump said on Thursday there will be an orderly transition after Congress certified the Democrat's victory.
"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," Trump said in a statement posted on Twitter by White House spokesman Dan Scavino.
