Electoral College debate goes on after violent unrest

Following a day that saw an unprecedented incursion into the U.S. Capitol, members of Congress worked late into the night to count and certify the results of the U.S. presidential election. The Senate and House reconvened after 8 p.m. once police had secured the building with the help of the National Guard. “Criminal behavior will never dominate the United States Congress,” Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Senate. “This institution is resilient.”

How did the night go? After debating the legitimacy of Arizona’s Electoral College votes for Joe Biden, both chambers voted to quash the objection and move on. Some GOP senators who said they would accept efforts to overturn the reported results from other key swing states changed their minds. “The events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider,” said Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who was defeated in a runoff election in Georgia the day before. Just after 3 a.m., both chambers also rejected a challenge to the Electoral College votes from Pennsylvania by 282 to 138 after a House debate. Congress was expected to approve the Electoral College results and declare Biden the winner.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on how Democratic wins in the Georgia runoffs on Tuesday will give the party control over the U.S. Senate.

Editor's note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.