ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER
The Speaker. To remind both sides of the aisle, during in the joint session, there are 11 House Republicans, 11 House Democrats, 11 House Senate Democrats, 11 Senate Republicans. 44 Members on the floor. Please view the proceedings from your offices. Thank you.
This is not a suggestion. That is a direction, in the interest of good example to the public of how serious we take the coronavirus threat and the need for social distancing.
Please, my colleagues, if you are not participating in the next part of this, please return to your offices.
I wish to remind Members that we have to reduce the number of Members on the floor to the gallery to witness the proceedings from there, in a relative number. So first come, first serve.
MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE
A message from the Senate by Ms. Byrd, one of its clerks, announced that the Secretary of the Senate shall inform the House of Representatives that the Senate is ready to proceed in joint session with the further counting of the electoral votes for President and Vice President.
At 11:35 p.m., the Sergeant at Arms, Paul D. Irving, announced the Vice President and the Senate of the United States.
The Senate entered the Hall of the House of Representatives, headed by the Vice President and the Secretary of the Senate, the Members and officers of the House rising to receive them.
The Vice President took his seat as the Presiding Officer of the joint convention of the two Houses, the Speaker of the House occupying the chair on his left. Senators took seats to the right of the rostrum as prescribed by law.
The Vice President. The joint session of Congress to count the electoral vote will resume. The tellers will take their chairs.
The two Houses retired to consider separately and decide upon the vote of the State of Arizona, to which an objection has been filed.
The Secretary of the Senate will report the action of the Senate.
The Secretary of the Senate read the order of the Senate, as follows:
Ordered, That the Senate by a vote of 6 ayes to 93 nays rejects the objection to the electoral votes cast in the State of Arizona for Joseph R. Biden, Jr., for President and Kamala D. Harris for Vice President.
The Vice President. The Clerk of the House will report the action of the House.
The Clerk of the House read the order of the House, as follows:
Ordered, That the House of Representatives rejects the objection to the electoral vote of the State of Arizona.
The Vice President. Pursuant to the law, chapter 1 of title 3, United States Code, because the two Houses have not sustained the objection, the original certificate submitted by the State of Arizona will be counted as provided therein.
The tellers will now record and announce the vote of the State of Arkansas for President and Vice President in accordance with the action of the two Houses.
This certificate from Arkansas, the Parliamentarian has advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that State, and purports to be a return from the State, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of that State purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Arkansas seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 6 votes for President and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 6 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Arkansas that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
There was no objection.
The Vice President. Hearing none, this certificate from California, the Parliamentarian has advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that State that purports to be a return from the State and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the State purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
Ms. Lofgren. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of California seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 55 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 55 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of California that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
There was no objection.
The Vice President. Hearing none, this certificate from Colorado, the Parliamentarian has advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that State that purports to be a return from the State, and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the State purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
Senator Blunt. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Colorado seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 9 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 9 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Colorado that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
There was no objection.
The Vice President. Hearing none, this certificate from Connecticut, the Parliamentarian has advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that State that purports to be a return from the State and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the State purporting to appoint or ascertain electors.
Senator Klobuchar. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Connecticut seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 7 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 7 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Connecticut that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
There was no objection.
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The Vice President. Hearing none, this certificate from Delaware, the Parliamentarian has advised me, is the only certificate of vote from that State that purports to be a return from the State and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the State purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Delaware seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 3 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 3 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the State of Delaware that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
There was no objection.
The Vice President. Hearing none, this certificate from the District of Columbia, the Parliamentarian has advised me, is the only certificate of vote from the District that purports to be a return from the District and that has annexed to it a certificate from an authority of the District purporting to appoint and ascertain electors.
Senator Blunt. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the District of Columbia seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 3 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 3 votes for Vice President.
The Vice President. Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the District of Columbia that the teller has verified appears to be regular in form and authentic?
There was no objection.
The Vice President. Hearing none, this certificate from Florida, the
