'It is over': Biden quiets Democrats as Congress meets to make Trump victory official

[DonViejo]

By Mike DeBonis January 6 at 1:22 PM

Congress made President-elect Donald Trump’s victory official Friday, meeting in joint session to tally electoral votes ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

The final count was 304 to 227, with two “faithless” Trump electors having chosen other candidates when they cast their ballots last month. Five electors for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton also broke with their party.

A handful of House Democrats raised objections to the tally, but without the support of a single senator, their efforts were futile.

Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) raised the first objections Friday after the joint meeting was gaveled to order. They were among several House Democrats who considered lodging objections on grounds of “voter suppression” or apparent Russian interference in the campaign. But they were hampered by the fact that federal law demands that any objection be sponsored by both a House member and a senator.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/06/trump-victory-becomes-official-as-congress-tallies-electoral-college/?utm_term=.492de08377f9&wpisrc=al_alert-politics

[femmocrat]

1. Feckless senators.

Even after the reports that as many as 50 electors should be disqualified for not living in their districts.

Thank you to those democratic House members who stood up.

[Vinca]

2. Screwing us over a second time. They did the same thing in 2000.

[montanacowboy]

8. Please don't forget 2004

The great Ohio Debacle with Ken Blackwell

Three times they have stolen elections, 2000, 2004 and this one

and hey, why the hell not? who is stopping them?

[Vinca]

9. In 2000 I was thinking of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus who made

pleas on the floor of the House on Gore's behalf. It would have taken only 1 Senator to join them to stop the electoral college from declaring Dubya the winner of the election and they didn't appear. Just as they didn't today. 2004 was also a theft . . . agreed. And I agree that it will continue because Democrats never want to rock the boat when, in fact, they should be threatening to sink it.

[libtodeath]

3. Fucking traitors

[global1]

4. And They Couldn't Get One Dem Senator To Sponsor This With Them?....nt

[yagotme]

10. Nope.

Not a one stepped up.

[suffragette]

5. I want to thank my Representative, Jayapal, and the others who tried to stand up for voting

rights and a fair election system at this terrible juncture.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/06/trump-victory-becomes-official-as-congress-tallies-electoral-college/?utm_term=.0fcda21cc6de

Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) raised the first objections Friday after the joint meeting was gaveled to order. They were among several House Democrats who considered lodging objections on grounds of “voter suppression” or apparent Russian interference in the campaign. But they were hampered by the fact that federal law demands that any objection be sponsored by both a House member and a senator.

~~~

“It is over,” Biden said to Jayapal’s objection, prompting Republican lawmakers to rise in cheers and applause.

Later, Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) implored one of the five Democratic senators to join her objection. “Just one,” she exclaimed.

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/313056-dems-try-to-voice-objections-as-congress-certifies-trumps-win

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) cited Russia's interference in the election as he raised the first Democratic objection to Trump's Electoral College victory.

Vice President Biden, who was presiding over the proceedings, ruled McGovern's objection out of order because it wasn't backed by a senator.


Any lawmaker can offer an objection during the Electoral College counting process, but it must be endorsed by a member of both the House and Senate.

Freshman Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) also tried to raise objections, but Biden cut them off. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) attempted to voice protests as well.

As Jayapal tried to make her case, Biden cut in: "There is no debate, and if it's not signed by a senator the objection cannot be entertained."

[shraby]

6. It's not official until he is sworn in on January 20.

[yuiyoshida]

7. We may see an end to democracy as well....

There's not a whole lot you can do when votes are flipped on voting machine programs, or people find ways to cheat their way though an election, by dumping ballots, or closing down voting stations because of so called broken machines.. or closing off certain districts so people have to go wait in line for long, long hours.

The Republicans have taken years now to learn how to rig an election. So long as all this happens there will never be a fair election in our future, and Republicans will continue to rule. They might even have enough votes to change the constitution so only Rich white land owners can vote, or that no one of color can vote, women can't vote...they could send this country back to the days before there was even a right to vote.

And what if they decided there will only be a one party system, disbanding by law the Democratic, green and independent parties so only registered Republicans can vote. They said they wanted our government small enough to "drown in a bathtub". Looks like now they can do that. Dismember every branch of government, that to them has no purpose, and certainly get rid of all the rules and regulations that regulate Industries, so we will become as polluted as China in a few years.

We keep thinking, in four years, we might have a shot at it, but then again, in four years they could drastically change everything. They may become the ruling party from now on, and if you are in, you are in, if you are out, you don't count.

I wish I had more hope for the future, but I think we have gone down a road, where there is no looking back.