WASHINGTON (AP) – The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. But President Donald Trump’s repeated, baseless efforts to challenge Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory will bring more attention than usual to the Jan. 6 joint session of the Senate and the House.
The congressional count is the final step in reaffirming Biden’s presidential win, after the Electoral College officially elected him on Monday. The meeting is required by the U.S. Constitution, and includes several distinct steps.
A handful of House Republicans have signaled that they want to object to the results, a move that could force separate votes in the Senate and the House. But to do so, they would need a senator to sign on. And even if a senator did support the effort, the move would almost certainly fail.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell privately asked his caucus not to do that, saying it would be a “terrible vote” for the Senate to have to take, according to two people familiar with the Republican meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.
A look at the joint session: