Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community.
House of Representatives
Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 19 public bills, H.R. 217–235; and 1 resolution, H. Res. 20, were introduced.Pages H115–16
Additional Cosponsors: Page H117
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed Representative Swalwell to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.Page H75
Electoral College Vote Tellers: Pursuant to S. Con. Res. 1, to provide for the counting on January 6, 2021, of the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States, and the order of the House of January 4, 2021, the Chair announced the Speaker’s appointment of Representatives Lofgren of California and Rodney Davis of Illinois as tellers on the part of the House to count electoral votes.Page H75
Recess: The House recessed at 12:06 p.m. and reconvened at 12:55 p.m.Page H76
Joint Session: The Joint Session was called to order at 1:05 p.m. and dissolved at 1:14 p.m. for consideration of the objection to the electoral votes for Arizona. Page H76
Recess: The House recessed at 2:18 p.m. and reconvened at 2:26 p.m.Page H85
Recess: The House recessed at 2:29 p.m. and reconvened at 9:02 p.m.Page H85
Joint Session: The Joint Session was called to order at 11:41 p.m. and dissolved at 12:22 a.m. for consideration of the objection to the electoral votes for Pennsylvania. Following consideration, the joint session resumed at 3:25 a.m. and dissolved at 3:44 a.m.Pages H94–98
Declaration of the Election of President and Vice President: Pursuant to the provisions of S. Con. Res. 1, and the requirements of the Constitution and laws relating to the election of President and Vice President of the United States, the two Houses of Congress met in joint session with Vice President Pence as the presiding officer to count the electoral votes. The following votes were cast for President: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of Delaware, 306; and Donald J. Trump of Florida, 232. The following votes were cast for Vice President: Kamala D. Harris of California, 306; and Michael R. Pence of Indiana, 232. After announcing the results of the certification process, the Vice President announced that the Joint Session was dissolved and that the results of the proceedings had during the Joint Session would be entered into the Journals of both Houses. Pages H76–H115
During the joint session, a Representative objected to the certification of electoral votes from Pennsylvania. The objection, having been signed by a Senator, was received and the joint meeting was dissolved for the purpose of considering the objection in each House. The objection was not agreed to in the House by a yea and nay vote of 138 yeas to 282 nays, Roll No. 11. Subsequently, notification was received in the House that the Senate disposed of the objection by a vote of 7 yeas to 92 nays. Upon resumption of the joint session, the Vice President announced that the original certification submitted by the State of Pennsylvania would stand as regular in form and authentic.Pages H98–H112
During the Joint Session various House Members rose to make a point of order, object to the counting of the electoral votes from Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin or to make a motion. The presiding officer and Chair, Vice President Pence, held that each case required a writing signed by both a Member of the House and a Senator. None were signed by a Senator and none were received.
During the joint session, a Representative objected to the certification of electoral votes from Arizona. The objection, having been signed by a Senator, was received and the joint meeting was dissolved for the purpose of considering the objection in each House.
