Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
- A joint session of Congress to count the 2020 presidential race’s Electoral College votes descended into chaos as violent protesters breached the Capitol building.
- The Capitol building was secured in the evening, and the Senate went back into session shortly after 8 p.m. to continue debate on an objection to Arizona’s electors, followed by the House about an hour later.
- The Senate wrapped up debate and voted 93-6 to reject the challenge to Arizona’s electors followed shortly after by the House, which voted 303-121 to reject the objection. All the votes in favor of rejecting Arizona’s electors were from Republicans.
- The breach, which began at around 2:00 p.m. ET forced Vice President Pence and lawmakers to evacuate as protesters crowded the building.
- There was an armed standoff in the House.
- Multiple police officers were injured and the Capitol suffered massive property damage.
- A woman died after being shot in the chest in an altercation with law enforcement, and three others died from medical emergencies at the riots, according to DC police.
- The DC National Guard was deployed to the scene and Virginia sent National Guard troops and state troopers.
- Follow along for live updates.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A joint session of Congress to oversee the counting of electoral votes in the 2020 general election descended into chaos when throngs of violent Trump-supporting insurrectionists breached the US Capitol building.
The Capitol building was finally secured nearly four hours later, around 5:30 p.m. after violent clashes between rioters and Capitol Police.
The US Senate went back in session to resume debate on a challenge to Arizona’s electors shortly after 8 p.m., over seven hours after the joint session to count Electoral College votes began, and the House went back into session to resume debate approximately an hour later, shortly after 9:00 p.m.
The Senate wrapped up debate and voted 93-6 to reject the challenge to Arizona’s electors shortly followed by the House, which voted 303-121 to reject the objection late Wednesday night.
The next objection was to the election certificate from Georgia. However, senators removed their challenge to the electors given the previous riots, and therefore Georgia’s election certification was accepted. Similar scenes played out with an initial challenge to Michigan and Nevada’s electors, which were ultimately accepted.
Shortly after midnight, Sen. Josh Hawley and Rep. Scott Perry both objected to the acceptance of Pennsylvania’s electors. In the Senate, the challenge to the electors was rejected.
The rioters, who had attended a “March for Trump” rally to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential race, stormed the building, forcing the House and Senate to abruptly go into recess and for Pence, lawmakers, Hill staffers, and reporters to shelter in their offices before being evacuated.
Pence, lawmakers, and members of the press were evacuated into an undisclosed location after the rioters entered the House and Senate chambers. It triggering a dramatic armed standoff at the doors of the House chamber.
In response to the violence, Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a 6 p.m. curfew in the District of Columbia. The D.C. National Guard and Virginia National Guard were also deployed to the scene.
The event in most years is simply a procedural formality. Biden won 306 Electoral College votes compared to 232 for Trump. But outgoing President Donald Trump and his allies spent the prior two months attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.
Today, that effort erupted into violence never before seen in modern US history.
Dozens of House lawmakers and 13 Republican Senators, as of Wednesday, had planned on raising objections to at least one and possibly multiple slates of electors under the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which permits lawmakers to raise objections to specific states’ electors.
Outside, meanwhile, several thousand Trump supporters gathered and then stormed the building.
Scroll down for live coverage.
Senate Television via AP
The vote in the Senate failed 93-6.
The six Senators voting in favor to reject Arizona’s electors were Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
The vote in the House failed with 303-121, with only Republican members of the House voting in favor of sustaining the objection to Arizona’s electors. Eighty-three Republicans joined Democrats in voting against rejecting Arizona’s electors.
Lawmakers from House and Senate challenge Pennsylvania’s electors
Chip Somodevilla / Staff
After challenges to electors could not be sustained for Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada, as senators dropped their objections, a member of both the House and Senate challenged Pennsylvania’s electors.
Republicans Sen. Josh Hawley, of Missouri, and Rep. Scott Perry, of Pennsylvania, objected to Pennsylvania’s certificate, sending the House and Senate into separate two-hour debates. The Senate declined to debate and voted to reject the challenge to Pennsylvania’s electors.
Sen. Mitt Romney stared down his colleague Sen. Josh Hawley as Hawley outlined his objections to states’ electoral votes.
Screenshot via C-SPAN
Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia reversed course and decided not to object to Arizona’s electors after stating that she supported objections.
Senate Television via AP
Loeffler, who was appointed in early 2020 to fill a vacant US Senate seat, just lost a runoff election against Democrat Raphael Warnock to serve out the rest of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term until 2023.
“The clockwork of our democracy will carry on,” McConnell said when the Senate reconvened to continue debate on the objection to Arizona’s electoral votes raised over seven hours earlier.
Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP
“The United States Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs, or threats. we will not bow to lawless or intimidation…we are going to discharge our duty under the constitution, and we are going to do it tonight,” McConnell said.
“Congress has faced much greater threats than this unhinged crowd we faced today. They failed,” he added, calling the violence “a failed insurrection.”
Pence returned to address the Senate shortly after 8:00 p.m., receiving a round of applause.
Senate Television via AP
—Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 7, 2021
Mahogany boxes with electoral vote certificates were brought back to the Senate after Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said they intended to bring Congress back into session.
Members will resume debate on the objection to Arizona’s electoral votes, which both chambers were conducting when they forced to go into recess, before moving on to other states, according to a notice from House minority whip Steve Scalise’s office.
—Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) January 7, 2021
In a letter to colleagues sent at around 6:30 p.m., Pelosi said that members will return to finish the vote tonight.
Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via AP
Pelosi’s letter read:
“Today, a shameful assault was made on our democracy. It was anointed at the highest level of government. It cannot, however, deter us from our responsibility to validate the election of Joe Biden.
To that end, in consultation with Leader Hoyer and Whip Clyburn and after calls to the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the Vice President, we have decided we should proceed tonight at the Capitol once it is cleared for use. Leader Hoyer will be sending out more guidance later today.
We always knew this responsibility would take us into the night. The night may still be long but we are hopeful for a shorter agenda, but our purpose will be accomplished.”
Shortly after, Politico reported that the Senate hopes to return to session at 8:00 p.m. and continue the counting of electoral votes without any objections.
—Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 6, 2021
And Pence’s press secretary Devin O’Malley tweeted: “Vice President @Mike_Pence has returned to the Senate. He never left the Capitol.@VP was in regular contact w/ House & Senate leadership, Cap Police, DOJ, & DoD to facilitate efforts to secure the Capitol & reconvene Congress. And now we will finish the People’s business.”
As the sun began to set in D.C. and the crowd began to disperse, lawmakers vowed to continue to the work of finalizing the Electoral College vote count.
Andrew Harnik/AP
McConnell has told senators that “they should go back into the chamber tonight to project strength after today’s catastrophe,” the Washington Post reported, after the Sergeant at Arms cleared the Capitol.
At 6 p.m., D.C.’s curfew kicked in. More riot police, National Guard, and FBI agents were on the scene to disperse the crowd and secure the scene.
—Ali Zaslav (@alizaslav) January 6, 2021
—Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2021
—Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) January 6, 2021
Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona had some choice words for Arizona Republican Party chairwoman Kelli Ward.
—Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) January 6, 2021
Here’s a video recap of how the violence and chaos at the Capitol unfolded throughout Wednesday:
Shortly before 6 p.m., MSNBC reported that a woman was in critical condition after being shot in the Capitol had died.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Multiple news outlets reported that a woman was shot in an altercation with law enforcement. Later, MSNBC’s Pete Williams reported that the woman had died.
A little after 5:30 p.m. the Sergeant at Arms announced the Capitol building had been secured.
Julio Cortez/AP
The Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police in Washington, DC, and National Guard troops from D.C. and Virginia helped secure the Capitol.
—Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 6, 2021
—Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
The rioters left got into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk and left a note on her desk.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Trump gave a statement calling for the rioting mobs to go home while continuing to falsely claim that the presidential election was “stolen.”
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Later, Trump tweeted: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”
President-elect Joe Biden condemned the rioters as “insurrectionists” in a speech from Delaware.
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
“I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege,” Biden said.
Both the D.C. and Virginia National guards were deployed to the scene to quell the violent insurrection.
John Minchillo/AP
—Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) January 6, 2021
—Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) January 6, 2021
Multiple police officers who were injured in the violence were evacuated from the Capitol area.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
A video from another angle captured the scene inside the chamber.
This video shows protesters descending on the outside of the Capitol.
The Huffington Post’s Igor Bobic captured the moment that the rioters breached the Senate.
—Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 6, 2021
Pence, lawmakers, and members of the press have been evacuated to undisclosed locations as rioters continue to clash with police.
Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
Pence tweeted: “The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now. Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building.”
A dramatic armed standoff occurred at the House chamber.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Dramatic photos captured by Getty Images showed Capitol Police pointing guns at the doors to the House chamber.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a curfew.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
The curfew is in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Both chambers of the Capitol were forced to go into recess when protesters breached the Capitol as the House and Senate separately debated an objection to Arizona’s 11 Electoral Votes.
Pence and lawmakers were evacuated out of the Capitol Building after originally being told to shelter in place, and then evacuated along with members of the press corps to an undisclosed location.
—Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 6, 2021
—Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 6, 2021
President Trump and Donald Trump Jr. both issued tweets urging calm and for protesters to respect law enforcement.
“This is wrong and not who we are. Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don’t start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and this doesn’t help anyone.,” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted.
Capitol police reportedly deployed flash bang grenades and tear gas to disperse pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol building, according to a Fox News camera crew on the scene.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
As the chambers began debating the Arizona objection, pro-Trump protesters clashed with Capitol Police on the steps of Capitol Hill.
Julio Cortez/AP
Staffers were ordered to evacuate from two House office buildings, the Cannon and Madison buildings.
—Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) January 6, 2021
—Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 6, 2021
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out against Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results as the Senate began to debate, before the rioting began.
“I’ve served 36 years in the Senate,” McConnell said. “This will be the most important vote I’ll ever cast.”
He continued: “We cannot simply declare ourselves the national board of elections on steroids.”
McConnell concluded his speech with a call for both parties to return to a shared set of facts.
“We cannot keep drifting apart into two separate tribes with a separate set of facts and separate realities, with nothing in common except for our hostility toward each other and mistrust for the few national institutions that we all still share,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a stern warning to his colleagues.
“As we speak, the eyes of the world are on this chamber, questioning whether America is still the shining example of democracy, the shining city on the hill, ” Schumer said.
He continued: “What message we send today — what message will we send today to our people, to the world that has so looked up to us for centuries. What message will we send to fledgling democracies, who study our constitution, who mirror our laws and traditions so that they too can build a country ruled by the consent of the governed?”
Right after the House and Senate split off to their respective chambers to debate the Arizona objection, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admonished Republican colleagues for failing to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Rep. Paul Gosar rose to bring an objection to the electors of the third state in the alphabetical order, Arizona, with 60 of his colleagues.
Lawmakers reacted with a mix of groans and applause.
They then left the chamber to go debate separately from the House on the objection.
The first two certificates of the process from Alabama and Alaska were accepted without controversy or objection.
Erin Scott/Pool via AP
At 1 p.m. local time, members of Congress filed into the House chamber for the proceedings. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence called the proceedings to order.
Saul Loeb/Pool via AP
Powered by WPeMatico
