WASHINGTON: The Latest on Congress tally of the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden (all times local):
1:15 p.m.
Republicans from the House and Senate have objected to the counting of Arizonas electoral vote, forcing votes in both chambers on Joe Bidens victory in the state.
The objection was made by Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar and was signed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Both are Republicans. The two chambers now have two hours to debate the challenge.
Biden won the state by more than 10,000 votes. In all, eight lawsuits challenging Bidens Arizona win have failed, in part over a lack of evidence.
The states Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of an election challenge, because the plaintiff lacked the right to bring the suit in the first place. The woman wasnt a registered voter when she sued.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has said there were no irregularities with the vote in her state.
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1:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump is taking aim at Republican members of Congress who have refused to join him in his effort to contest the results of the November election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump on Wednesday told a large crowd of supporters gathered on the Ellipse that they needed to vote these Republicans out of office by putting up challengers in primary elections to push them out.
If they dont fight, we have to primary the hell out of the ones that dont fight, Trump said, calling the Republicans who arent siding with him weak.
Earlier, he named and praised Republicans who have pledged to contest the electoral votes of some states when they come up for approval on Capitol Hill.
His supporters, who braved chilly, windy conditions, chanted Fight for Trump!
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1:10 p.m.
Congress has begun a joint session to count and confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden.
With supporters of President Donald Trump gathering around the Capitol, more than a dozen Republican senators and more than 100 Republican House members have said they will object to the count from as many as six battleground states. They are echoing Trumps false claims of widespread fraud.
Their efforts are almost certain to fail as many Republicans have said they will oppose the objections. But the session is expected to last into the night on Wednesday as the House and Senate must consider each objection separately and vote on whether to sustain it.
Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the session. He has no power to overturn the results, despite pressure from Trump to do so.
Biden won the Electoral College 306-232. He is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20.
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1 p.m.
Vice President Mike Pence is defying President Donald Trump, saying he does not have the unilateral ability to discard electoral votes that will make Joe Biden president on Jan. 20.
Pence, in a statement issued minutes before he was to begin presiding over a joint session of Congress to count electoral votes, said, It is my considered judgement that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.
Trump has pressured his vice president to toss electors from battleground states that voted for Biden during the session.
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12:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump is continuing his pressure-campaign against Vice President Mike Pence, telling thousands of supporters falsely that all Pence has to do to stay in office is send Electoral College votes back to the states to be recertified.
Pence has no such unilateral power under the Constitution and congressional rules that govern the count. It is up to the House and Senate to voice objections, and in any case the states electors were chosen in accordance with state law, not fraudulently.
The demonstrators on the Ellipse, south of the White House, cheered Trump on and planned to march to Capitol Hill where Congress will vote to affirm or contest the Electoral College results. The president said hed be walking with the crowd.
All Mike Pence has to do is send it back to the states, Trump said, urging his loyal vice president to join lawmakers who are protesting President-elect Joe Bidens victory.
Mike Pence is going to have to come through for us, Trump said, and if he doesnt its a sad day for our country. Trump said it would take courage for Pence not to contest the results.
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12:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump is vowing that we will never concede as he speaks to supporters shortly before Congress is to convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump took the stage at the Save America rally, which drew thousands of supporters who swamped the nations capital as the presidents Republican allies in the House and Senate plan to object to his November election loss to Biden.
Trump urged Vice President Mike Pence, who will play a largely ceremonial role in the process, to block certification of Bidens win. Pence does not have this power.
Our country has had enough, Trump said. We wont take it anymore.
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11 a.m.
Sen. Mitt Romney says President Donald Trumps election challenge has disgraced the office of the presidency.”
Romney told reporters on Capitol Hill ahead of Wednesdays joint session to confirm Joe Bidens Electoral College win that he was certain of the outcome.
Im confident that well proceed as the Constitution demands and tell our supporters the truth whether or not they want to hear it, Romney said.
Republican lawmakers are picking up Trumps demands to challenge the results from several states. But they are not expected to have enough votes in Congress to change the results. Biden is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Romney said, President Trump has disrespected the American voters, has dishonored the election system and has disgraced the office of the presidency.
He called the gambit of the challenges in Congress very disappointing.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONGRESS’ TALLY OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE
Read more:
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Trump insists, falsely, that Pence can decertify results
GOPs Biden vote revolt is atypical challenge for McConnell
Dividing party, Republicans poised to challenge Biden win
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HERES WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:
8:55 a.m.
President Donald Trump is turning up the pressure on his vice president in a futile effort to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election in Congress.
Vice President Mike Pence will preside Wednesday over a joint session of lawmakers for the congressional tallying of electoral votes, but his role is only ministerial.
Taking to Twitter, Trump on Wednesday repeated his unfounded assertions that there was widespread election irregularities and fraud which have been dismissed by federal courts and his own Justice Department.
All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN, Trump falsely claimed. Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!
Pence has no such unilateral power under congressional rules that govern the count.
More than 100 GOP lawmakers are expected to challenge the officially certified electoral votes of several battleground states. Majorities in both chambers are required to reject the will of voters, but enough Republican lawmakers have said they will join with Democrats to reject the last-ditch move by Trump allies.
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