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1 day ago
Harris says 'democracy can be fragile' as she prepares to certify Trump's election victory
Today’s joint session of Congress to certify Donald Trump’s election victory will be presided over by vice-president Kamala Harris, in her ceremonial capacity as president of the Senate.
Harris, of course, was Trump’s opponent in the November presidential election, and is now tasked with making official his victory. Such a scenario has played out before – Al Gore certified his opponent George W Bush’s victory in 2001, and Richard Nixon did the same for John F Kennedy in 1961.
In a video released earlier today, Harris said she was honored to play a part in the peaceful transfer of power between American presidents, while nodding to the January 6 insurrection four years ago. Here’s what she had to say:
Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation — one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people. pic.twitter.com/w21HzdNxGs
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 6, 2025Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Congress to certify Trump's election victory four years after Capitol insurrection
Good morning, US politics blog readers. It is January 6, the legally designated day when the Senate and House of Representatives convene in a joint session to certify the results of the presidential election – in this case, Donald Trump’s victory two months ago. Today’s meeting comes four years after the then-president’s supporters stormed the Capitol after he addressed them outside the White House, a historic attack that Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, tried and ultimately failed to have him prosecuted over. There’s no sign that a repeat of those events will take place this year. Washington DC is socked in by a snowstorm that’s snarled roads across parts of the east coast and midwest, the Capitol is under heavy guard, and, unlike the Republicans who in 2021 tried to used procedural moves to block Biden from taking office, no congressional Democrats have signaled plans to object to Trump’s re-election during the session.
The session is set to begin at 1pm ET, with Kamala Harris presiding in her role as president of the Senate. Once Trump’s victory is certified, it will clear the way for his inauguration two weeks from today, on 20 January.
Here’s what else is happening today:
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Trump on Sunday said he will support efforts by Republicans in Congress to pass one massive piece of legislation that will enact many of his campaign promises, including better fortifying the country’s borders and removing taxes on tips. There had been some debate among the GOP over whether to split those priorities up into separate bills, but with that decided (for now), expect Republicans to spend the next several months getting that legislation through Congress.
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Biden wrote on opinion piece for the Washington Post, in which he encouraged Americans not to forget the insurrection that took place four years ago today.
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Seven US states in the midwest and east coast have declared emergencies as a big winter storm blows through. Follow our live blog for the latest.
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