The Senate rejected the election challenge in Arizona

Washington – After the uprising at the Capitol caused by supporters of Donald Trump, the United States Senate tonight (93-6) rejected the Arizona election challenge, one of the steps Republican lawmakers planned to try to win to ignore President-elect Joe Biden.

As the House of Representatives debate continues, the vast majority of US senators rejected the impeachment led by Texas Republican Ted Cruz, someone who was considered a potential candidate for the US presidency.

The federal lower house can vote for Arizona voters by midnight before both houses return to a joint session, said Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), leader of the Senate Republican majority group.

Congress resumed tonight the session with constitutional responsibility to confirm the outcome of the November election, hours after the destruction and chaos caused by President Trump supporters storming the Capitol.

“We condemn the violence that took place in the most stubborn of terms”said vice president Michael Pence, president of the senate.

Shortly afterwards, speaker Nancy Pelosi opened the proceedings of the Lower House.

Given the turmoil in the Capitol from crowds of President Trump’s supporters, Senate and House of Commons sessions were suspended when opposition from senators and Republican congressmen to counting Arizona’s votes in the electoral college demanded an audit and welcoming unfounded allegations of the White House tenant that there was massive fraud in the Nov. 3 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden.

The leader of the Democratic minority, Charles Schumer (New York), claimed that today’s events were not spontaneous, but were instigated by President Donald Trump, who propagated the false idea of ​​mass fraud with lies and untruths. in the presidential election on 3 November.

Schumer also urged authorities to file charges against the gangs who illegally stormed the Capitol, caused damage and disrupted Congress’s constitutional work. A woman was killed in the incidents.

“I want to be very clear. Those who have committed reprehensible acts cannot be called protesters. They were insurgents, violent extremists trying to take over the Capitol and our democracy. “Schumer objected.

After the Democrats win the second two rounds for the seats in Georgia, Schumer will become the next majority leader in the Senate in a few days.

“They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed. The failed uprising only emphasizes the crucial task ahead, ”said Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Senate Republican Majority Group leader.

Pelosi, for her part, affirmed that “there has been a disgraceful attack on our democracy today,” but affirmed the importance of getting back to work “and our responsibility to affirm Joe Biden’s victory.”

The Chamber Speaker said she consulted the Pentagon, the Justice Department and Vice President Pence before deciding to resume work, which should ultimately validate the results that elected President Biden received 306 of the electoral college’s 538 votes.

Follow the incidents:

The Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed her “great sorrow” over what has happened, saying that the session of Congress “will be part of history, because of the shameful image of the country being at the highest level in the world. displayed ”. regarding Trump.

Democratic Senator Robert Menéndez (New Jersey), for his part, stated that “no one can argue that how we got to this dark moment is a great mystery” or the question “how domestic terrorists could succeed in taking over Congress. and defile the Capitol. ”“ This was not an act of patriotism, but an act of sedition, ”he noted.

At a morning rally, Trump had urged his allies to interfere in that process, his Vice President Pence to assume a power the Constitution doesn’t grant him, and his supporters to go to the Capitol to speak.

Supporters of the president then made their way to the Capitol and forced their way into the building, until authorities managed to evict them and destroy the site, including Pelosi’s office, more than three hours later.

The chaos killed at least one woman, the one who was shot in the chest in the Capitol without knowing who shot her, local police confirmed.

The session in Congress is usually just a procedure in a normal election year, with the aim of confirming a result – Biden’s victory – confirmed by the Electoral College on December 14.

This time, however, dozens of Trump-allied lawmakers planned to object to the result in various states, something they only began to do when the attack began.

There was no prospect that the session would change the fact that Biden will become president of the United States on Jan. 20, which is when Trump’s term ends, but it is possible it could drag on for hours if the outgoing ruler’s allies stand To present their allegations.