Explainer | What happens when Congress meets January 6, final step for Joe Biden’s victory
- Vice-president to lead joint session of Congress which certifies the Electoral College votes that determines election winner
- President Donald Trump has refused to concede his loss in the 2020 election – citing baseless claims of fraud
The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. But US President Donald Trump’s repeated, baseless efforts to challenge Democrat Joe Biden’s victory will bring more attention than usual to next Wednesday’s (January 6) joint session of the Senate and the House.
The congressional count is the final step in reaffirming Biden’s win, after the Electoral College officially elected him on December 14. The meeting is required by the Constitution and includes several distinct steps.
Republicans who are echoing Trump’s baseless claims of fraud have said they will officially object to the results, forcing votes in the Republican-run Senate and the Democratic-controlled House that will almost certainly fail. A group of House Republicans had been looking for a senator to sign on because there must be support from at least one member of each chamber to force the votes. That support came Wednesday from Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a possible contender in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Hawley’s challenge comes despite a plea from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that Republican senators not join the futile House effort. McConnell told his caucus on a private call earlier this month that it would be a “terrible vote” for Senate Republicans to have to take.
A look at the joint session:
What happens when Congress meets January 6?
Under federal law, Congress must meet January 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The votes are brought into the chamber in mahogany boxes.