The 117th U.S. Congress began its tenure last night with seven members of the House of Representatives and senators. It marks the beginning of a dramatic week, which includes crucial elections for two Senate seats in Georgia tomorrow and a vote in Congress to approve Wednesday’s presidential election results. Include a Republican “rebellion” against Joe Biden’s victory.
Joe Biden’s Victory Speech. Photo: Reuters
Meanwhile, the Washington Post published this morning (Monday) a recording of President Trump talking to State Secretary of State Brad Rapensperger, a member of his party, urging him to “find another 11,780 votes” to ensure his victory in the country. The paper described the conversation as “a disgraceful exploitation of power and a potential criminal offense.”
Nancy Pelosi was elected last night for another two years as Speaker of the House before the swearing-in process of members of the lower house of Congress took place. The majority of Democrats shrank in the November election, and now stands at 222 against 211 Republicans.
US Congress Building (Photo: Reuters)Two seats are still vacant – Republican Luke Latlao, elected on behalf of Louisiana, died last week from the corona virus and the seat election will take place in March; While the court is still examining the election results in the 22nd District of New York, where Claudia Tenny led by only 12 votes over Democrat Anthony Brindisi.
Meanwhile, outgoing Vice President Mike Pence swore in the Senate members elected in November – 23 Republican senators who won another term and four new senators, in addition to 12 re-elected Democrats and two new Democratic senators.
On another topic: Tomorrow, Georgia will host the second and decisive round of two Senate contests – Republican Sen. Kelly Laufler vs. Democrat Rafael Warnock, and Republican Sen. David Freddie vs. Democrat John Osoff. A victory for one of the two Republican candidates will keep the Republican majority in the Senate, but if the two Democrats win, there will be a 50-point tie between the parties, and Vice President-elect Camela Harris will secure the Democratic majority.
Due to the importance of the race, both parties have invested considerable resources in recent weeks in an attempt to motivate voters to go to the polls in the early voting or send their votes by mail. Tonight, President Donald Trump is expected to hold a large rally in the city of Dalton, in an attempt to secure victory, but Freddie will not be able to attend it after being forced into solitary confinement due to contact with a corona patient.
The political drama will reach another climax this coming Wednesday, when the two houses of Congress will convene to vote on approving the results of the Electoral College, which ruled that Biden won by a majority of 306 to 232.
Historically, this meeting is for minutes only, but this time some Republicans have already announced in the House and Senate that they will oppose the approval because of their support for Trump’s claims of voting irregularities.
The regulations stipulate that opposition from at least one senator and one elected House axis leads to a two-hour debate in each of the houses of Congress before the decisive vote. Due to the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and the opposition of a number of Republican senators to the outgoing president’s move, the delay will be purely technical and at the end of the day Pence, in his role as Senate president, is expected to officially confirm Biden’s victory.
“The conspicuous ploy to reject the electorate may strengthen some people’s political aspirations, but dangerously threaten our democratic republic,” defied Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who publicly goes against Trump. Concurrent with congressional hearings, a large demonstration by Trump supporters against the election results is expected to take place on Wednesday in downtown Washington, D.C., and the fear is that the event could lead to violent incidents in protest of Biden’s victory. “Trump himself has continued in recent days to encourage his supporters to come in droves.”