You, mr president. I intend later to address the specifics of pennsylvania if and when an objection is raised with regards to pennsylvania. For now, i want to address my remarks to what i think is the fundamental question being posed by the objectors. That is, does congress have the Constitutional Authority to decide which states Electoral College votes should be counted and which should not, based on how well we think they run their elections. This is what the object is asking us to do. To federal eyes on election. By rejecting Electoral College votes from states whose processes they say they disapprove of and thereby, having congress select the president of the United States instead of the american people. The answer, mr president , is no. There is no such authority under the constitution. The constitution assigns to the states the responsibility to conduct elections. It is clear in article two, section one, it leaves courts with a responsibility to adjudicate disputes and it signs to congress the ministerial function of counting ballots except for in extreme circumstances such as when a state sense competing slates of electors to congress. Which brings me to the 1877 president. Some objectors claim to merely want to commission to conduct an audit and let states decide whether to send different electors. First, the situations are not at all analogous. In 1877, congress had before it too slates of electors from several states. Here, there are no trump electors from swing states. There are just biding electors. Second, legislatures from the swing states have already spoken. They made their decision. They have chosen not to send us alternative electors. Third, commission, really . Its completely impractical and we all know it. With 14 impractical and we all know it. With 1a days to go before our constitutionally mandated inauguration. Look at it this way, if the object is a right and it is congressjob to sit if the object is a right and it is congress job to sit in judgment on the worthiness of the states electoral processes, then what is the criteria for acceptable election processes . The criteria for acceptable election processes . What investigations are being conducted of these processes . What body has deemed that certain states processes a re u na cce pta ble . What with the opportunities given to challenge the findings . Why are the objectors objecting only to swing states that President Trump lost . What about the ones he won . North carolina . What what about the ones he won . North carolina . What about what about the ones he won . North carolina . What about california . They have ballot harvesting, im told. If it is supposed to be congress job, told. If it is supposed to be congressjob, you told. If it is supposed to be congress job, you would think they had congress job, you would think they ha d a nswe rs congress job, you would think they had answers to these questions and procedures in place because we would have done this every four years, right . But we dont. Because it is not ourjob. If we adopt this new president that we sit in judgment of states processes, they may have federal eyes in the election law. We would necessarily have to establish the permissible criteria for the states elections. Ballot harvesting, for example. It is illegal in some states, encouraging others. Does become mandatory forbidden depending on who is in charge of congress . As a leader pointed out, it would be the end of the Electoral College. And the Electoral College is the mechanism by which the people the president. Lets move from the away senate for a moment and show you what is happening outside the Capitol Building. This so called save america march is heading towards the Capitol Building. There are been minor skirmishes with police, we have seen that. They are getting close to the building inside which the certification progress is taking place. Its not a vast crowd as you can see, but nonetheless, it is quite extraordinary scenes. Bear in mind, many of the people at its march belief that America Needs to be saved because the election, in their eyes, has been stolen, although donald Trump Supporters have offered no claims that they we re have offered no claims that they were have offered no claims that they were have offered no evidence to substantiate their claims that there was electoral fraud committed. Substantiate their claims that there was electoralfraud committed. They have been stopped going any further, but that they have got this far is quite something. There are many flags from the Election Campaign from a couple of months ago. Trump 2020, you can see that on the flag at the beginning of the shop. There are news agencies. At the beginning of the shop. There are news agencies. And we are also hearing that parts of the building have been evacuated. Two representatives from the lower house of of representatives, say that they are in their offices are not leaving their offices because of the security security alert that is going on in the Capitol Building. Someone there is getting led up the steps. It appears to be difficult whether that person has been injured all someone who has been detained by officers, but you can see a man, the top of the steps theyre sitting down and being spoken to by some of the Security Officials and you can also hear the shouts and cheers of those involved in the protest. The specs of red and amongst that crowd are almost certainly the mate america make America Great again caps. Staff members in the capital being evacuated to a safe zone. They have the capital on lockdown. Its a tense and unfolding situation there. There are a lot of protesters outside and. Im going to just interrupt you. These processes are outside for the moment but they are getting very close to being inside will stop just as you are speaking to me then, a group of, its difficult to estimate, but we are talking about hundreds of protesters that are starting to push up those steps. The security personnel that have been stopping them going at the steps have decided they are going to pull back. This is quite extraordinary. Yes, its nothing that ive ever seen, certainly in my yea rs of that ive ever seen, certainly in my years of covering capitol hill. Reporters that have been here much longer would say the same. I dont know if any time in modern American History where protesters have tries to invade the Capitol Building. Have any of the organisers of this march talked about what they are hoping to achieve beyond expressing their support for donald trump . |j achieve beyond expressing their support for donald trump . I mean, we have to remember that today, the house and the senate as a poster formally certified the electoral couege formally certified the Electoral College results and basically, this is the final step that would ensure that president Electjoe Biden would become the next president of the United States. Obviously, these protesters, their goal is to stop that from happening. Although, it is happening right now, it is probably a process that is going to take all day. There is no indication that this is going to change it, but if it causes enough disruption to maybe put things on hold, i dont know if thatis put things on hold, i dont know if that is part of the protest is planned, but certainly, they are causing plenty of disruption. Stay with us if you would. Let me just also pass on, the Afp News Agency as saying that those in offices in congress are being told to evacuate because of the security situation playing out on the steps. The bbc. Reporter who we were helping to speak to a tweeted that they are being evacuated from the Cannon House Office building and we know that two representatives of the house of representatives, the lower house of congress, have tweeted that they are sheltering in their office because the building has been evacuated. So while that instruction to evacuate is come, clearly, some people have decided its not safe for them to leave their offices to evacuate and are staying put. For them to leave their offices to evacuate and are staying putm also that it mightjust be that the us capital can be, such as a police force tasked with keeping the building safe, has issued a lockdown in some parts of the capital. So that might be that they are not letting some people go out of the building and instead are having people sheltering right now. For people sheltering right now. For people watching all around the world who dont know the geography of this pa rt who dont know the geography of this part of washington all the geography of this building, just explain to us is icily where these protesters are and where the senators . Yes, the protest is that i saw earlier, and ive been following along on twitter and talking to people inside the building, but they were coming out towards the back of the capital. I saw recently that at the east side of the Capitol Building and so the capitol complex, the senate is on one side and the houses on the other. It looks like, at point, just kind of looking at the geography of where this is that, im not entirely sure if protesters are in the centre all on one of the sides. At this point, it looks like they are still on the outside, so this might be more of a thing for theatrics saw a photo opportunity, but its certainly concerning either way. We should emphasise that earlier, donald trump told his supporters to march towards the capital to make themselves heard, so they are responding to their president. Yes, and thus far, trump hasnt said anything necessarily to try to calm the tension issued any sort of statement that i have seen to tell protesters to stop. And that could be problematic going forward. Especially as there are so many of them right now. And presumably, the reason that this moment is playing out is that this is the final day newmont of the president ial election process , newmont of the president ial election process, the idea of contesting the Election Results has to come to an end because the senate is going to certify the result. Yes, the house in the senate will certify the results today and the Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell, who was a republican, so a member of trompes party, just to give a fairly long and somewhat emotional speech on the senate floor saying that the senate vote is the most consequential vote that he will take in his time in the senate. Mcconnell who has been an ally of trump in the past said very clearly and unequivocally that the house and the senate needs to vote to certify the Election Results forjoe biden and they cannot overturn the will of the american people. Mcconnell said that trump has exhausted his legal challenges and avenues in that way. And that he will not support trumps wish and desire to have the senate and the house overturn the results of the election. Lr, for the moment, thank you very much indeed. You can follow eller and her colleagues reporting of this story via the vox website. Let me show you this tweet from one congresswoman website. Let me show you this tweet from one congresswoman in the last few minutes who says, we can show this to you. Oh, im just going to tell you, we are not going to show it to you, but she says im sheltering in my office. The building next door has been evacuated. I cant believe i have to write this. Another tweet from our colleague who has been reporting, she says we are being evacuated from the Cannon House Office building, thats the building next door to the Capitol Building which we are looking at. That is from a correspondence lebo diseko. This was not the picture just a few minutes ago, if you havejustjoined us, 1112 minutes ago, there were no people on the steps. This is a save america march, full of donald Trump Supporters, they are broken through the security cordon, all the boarding was pulled back, we dont know the exact circumstances in which they have moved up those steps, but as you can see, maybe several hundred people have moved up the steps at the Capitol Building and are expressing their frustration that they believe the American Election is being stolen from donald trump but as we keep reiterating, there is not any evidence to back up that claim. The New York Times as saying that hundreds of pro trump demonstrators have gathered on the steps of the us capital and is reporting that police began firing what appeared to be flash bang grenades into the air to disperse the crowd. One protester responded, thatis the crowd. One protester responded, that is our house, referring to the Capitol Building. Flash bang grenades have been used to try and disperse the crowd but as you can see, any efforts to disperse the crowd have not worked so far. We also have this from reuters, quoting also have this from reuters, quoting a witness saying process are breached security barricades. Bearing in mind that the us Capitol Building is an integral part of the inauguration ceremony that will be happening in a couple of weeks time. Preparations are already under way. Writers are quoting a witness saying that protesters climbed up onto what would be part of the inauguration ceremony. These are extraordinary scenes. This again from reuters, the Capitol Building is being put on lockdown. Reports are that they essentially align, hundreds if not hundreds of thousand,it hundreds if not hundreds of thousand, it looks like hundreds, supporters of donald trump on the steps of the Capitol Building. Inside, in the us senate, the process of certifying, you can see as well as i can, the process of certifying the us election result is under way. Normally, this would not bea under way. Normally, this would not be a big new story. This would be a formality. But because of some concerns expressed by republican senators, there is a huge amount of attention on what is going on in the senate. There is no prospect of this not being certified, it is a case of how it will be received by donald trump and his supporters. A few moments ago, we heard Mitch Mcconnell saying that this would lead americas democracy into a death spiral of the results of the election were rejected. He was there, trying to make a stark break from the position that donald trump is holding. Every moment, every minute that this day unfolds in washington, the pressure and attention ratchets up, because this really is the culmination of the last few months that donald trump has been trying to claim that the election was stolen, without substantiation. Lets continue to look at these pictures, cbs and saying the pro Trump Supporters are breached the police lines around the front of the capital. This is interesting, because i was saying that it wasnt clear whether those Security Forces decided to allow the protest is to come through on whether they were forced out the way. Cbs are saying that they breached the police line. Evidently now, the steps have been lost and it is completely full of protesters. As i was saying, the New York Times is reporting that one protester has been shouting, thats our house. More evidence that these people feel that the roots of American Power is being taken away from them unfairly. Lets bring in our north america reporter based in washington. Anthony, your reaction as you watch this play out. These are remarkable images we are watching. I think it isa sign images we are watching. I think it is a sign of the anger amongst Donald Trumps supporters. Donald trumpjust Donald Trumps supporters. Donald trump just spoke to these people in front of the white house may have up from the white house to the us capital. Donald trump saying that the election was being stolen from them that the members of congress that might vote to confirm joe bidens president ial victory were betraying them so what we are seeing isa betraying them so what we are seeing is a very visible representation of that resentment that donald trump himself fomented from within view of the white house. Protest in washington, even vocal protest in washington, even vocal protest in washington, not unusual, but presumably washington, not unusual, but presu ma bly protesters washington, not unusual, but presumably protesters are not normally allowed to get this far towards the building. Know, particularly during the coronavirus, when much of the capitol complex has been under limited access in order to try and prevent the spread of the pandemic. This is unusual. It is not something we have seen in washington, dc since the 1960s there is one Office Building that has been evacuated. Im hearing reports that the entire capitol complex is on lockdown. You will know that all of these Office Buildings where members of congress, these are connected to the main Capitol Building by underground tunnels. So despite the process going outside, members of congress will be able to come and go from their offices, stay on the floor of their senate. Vote on the certification proceedings, as long as nobody enters the building themselves. Lets ringing Barbara Plett usher, you are close to where this is happening, barbara . Weve arrived at the Capitol Building, we arrived at the Capitol Building, we arrived at the white house. I can see the Capitol Building now. The area is jam packed with protesters. I havent been able to get close enough to the building itself to see what has happened to be that Security Breach and whether the struggles are still going on. And how easily are you and others able to move around, barbara . Close to where this is happening. Easily at the moment, but they have the area fenced off, so i havent. As we we re area fenced off, so i havent. As we were walking down the street, constitution avenue, the atmosphere was almost party like. There was one place where they were playing music and dancing. And now, it feels as though i am just in a crowd of people waving flags. There is not a sense of urgency disruption. I dont see people pushing back on anything, but we are not. For the moment, thank you very much indeed. That was barbara on the phone close to where these protests a re barbara on the phone close to where these protests are happening. Anthony, clearly these are remarkable images, but just anthony, clearly these are remarkable images, butjust picking up remarkable images, butjust picking up on what barbara was saying, do we have any reports that theres been any violence, any particular clashes with police . I havent seen any reports beyond the clashes with police that were attempting to maintain as barricades, but they have moved beyond the barricades now and our own parts of the us capital, that were being erected by the capital in order to hostjoe bidens inauguration. It was suggest that the police had withdrawn, at least temporarily, but no reports that i have heard as yet have been a violence. This is happening outside. The people just violence. This is happening outside. The peoplejustjoining us, bring us up the peoplejustjoining us, bring us up to date on where weve got you inside the building. Inside the capitol, the two chambers of congress, ive each wanted their respective chambers to debate this objection to the certification of arizonas electoral votes that were brought by one member of the house of representatives and one member of the us senate. Both are republicans. Those debates can go on for up to two hours, the end of which there will be a vote in both chambers and ifa will be a vote in both chambers and if a majority in both chambers decide to reject those arizona electoral votes, they will not count. Democrats hold a majority in the house and there are enough republicans and democrats in the senate to say they will uphold arizonas votes that the votes will be counted, but it will take a bit of time. Once those votes take place, then they will be a return to thejoint session of place, then they will be a return to the joint session of congress presided over by Vice President mike pence and the roll call of states will continue. Arizona, alabama and alaska, we will continue alphabetically through the entire list of states, with republicans lodging their objections when they get to a state they want to dispute. The next one that will happen for is georgia. Two things to mention to you further, we are getting some reports that both houses have gone into recess. We dont know why, but we would assume because of the security situation inside and out. If that is the case, its a remarkable impact for a relatively small protest. If they have declared a recess , small protest. If they have declared a recess, it would suggest that the capitol hill release would deem the threat more serious to those inside the building. That would be a Remarkable Development because at this point, this was going to be a long day anyway for members of congress, and that is only going to stretch on longer if they have to delay proceedings until security is restored. More details coming through. Glitter goes bureau chief says, oh my goodness, we are sheltering in the senate. We are being told that mike pence has been pulled from the senate floor. That is reporting from nbc. The Vice President has been forced to pull back from the Us Senate Floor on the day and he is taking part in the certification of the result of the us president ial election because, as you can see, Security Breach on the steps outside capitol hill. Also, audio messages are playing in the Capitol Building telling people to stay away from windows and doors. Political reporting. People are being told to stay away from windows and doors, again, on the day when both houses of congress would be certifying the result of a president ial election and anthony, we are getting confirmation that both houses are now in recess. The story is developing by the minute. Im seeing that now as well and i have to repeat again, these protesters started in front of the white house where they were addressed by donald trump just a few hours ago and donald trump said that if members of congress do the wrong thing and certifyjoe biden as the next president , it is something that we should never ever forget. Next president , it is something that we should never everforget. He next president , it is something that we should never ever forget. He said that what they are doing is far more important than anything before. He challenged mike pence to throw out votes from certain states, something that mike pence declined to do, saying he had no such power to do so, essentially donald trump spent an hour talking to this crowd, whipping them up and telling them that votes were being stolen and then he directed them to march their capital and here they are at the capital, representing Capitol Hill Police as assessments, a Real Security threat to people inside the capital trying to hold these formal proceedings to certifyjoe bidens president ial victory. Looking at the situation in washington, and also seeing amy gardner from the Washington Post saying that militia members have gathered outside the Georgia State capitol. Brad raffensperger, have been escorted out to safety. Thats just the Washington Post reporting at. But it highlights the extreme Political Tension in america today. It does. I recall what happened in michigan when the michigan governor announced the lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic and protesters descended on the state capital there, got into the state capital there, got into the Capitol Building, confronted police. That happened at the State Capitol in michigan. Now we are seeing what happened there being replicated here in washington, dc, in georgia and it is, it suggests the seriousness of the situation and the seriousness of the situation and the fact that, this is daylight right now. When i have been protests in dc between supporters in night time, usually that is when things turn violent. It suggests that this evening, the situation on capitol hilland around evening, the situation on capitol hill and around washington, dc might become even more fraught. As you are talking, im seeing a tweet from National Politics and congrats report of the boston globe saying that some of these protesters may have entered the Capitol Building. Again, that is just the boston globe reporting that but looking at these pictures, the distance from the steps to the entrance of the building is presumably a matter of metres. Writes, and if there are protesters within the Capital Building itself as we spoke about earlier, that would truly be assessed by Capitol Police as a direct Security Threat to members of congress who are walking through the holes of the Capital Building and that would explain why theres been a capital y lockdown. Halls of the Capitol Building. I am also seeing reports that tear gas has been used, so it seems like the level of confrontation here is escalating. We are also hearing from nbc reporter on capitol hill, they are trying to break down the doors. That is what that reporter is saying. It falls in line with what the boston globe is reporting, that some people have got through the doors, some people are already through, a reminder that if you are just turning on, both houses of congress, the house of representatives and the senate, they we re representatives and the senate, they were supposed to be completing the assertion of the election result have had to gone into recess because of what you are seeing here. Mike pence has been pulled from the senate floor. Both houses are in recess. We have some people within the Capitol Building being told to evacuate, others that are making the decision to stay within their own offices because they believe thats the safest thing. There are messages being played on loudspeaker within the Capital Building telling people to stay away from windows and doors. As you can see, the protesters who had immediately, initially, but against security personnel stopping them going up the steps, going towards the doors of the Capitol Building were able to go through that security chording and to make their way up the steps towards the building. All the while, as you can see, flying american flags, flying from flags, many of them wearing the make America Great again hat that we have seen during the trump presidency. Anthony, again for people just joining presidency. Anthony, again for peoplejustjoining us, this is what President Trump told these people to do. Yes, he told them to march down to the capital. It was a planned protest, but donald trump encourage them to go and he said he would be going with them, although the White House Press office quickly told reporters there that they had no idea what donald trump was talking about, whether you might be going with them only in spirit. He also challenged mike pence to be courageous and throughout the results of these Electoral College votes a nd results of these Electoral College votes and just three minutes ago, donald trump tweeted, as these demonstrations and sometimes violent clashes apparently with police were happening, he tweeted, mike pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been doing to protect our country and our constitution giving states a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent ore inaccurate ones they we re fraudulent ore inaccurate ones they were asked to previously certified. The us demands the truth. While this was happening, donald trump was effectively throwing gasoline on to the fire and criticising his own Vice President for the actions he took for the counting of these electoral votes. Anthony, took for the counting of these electoralvotes. Anthony, one question coming up a lot from the us and on social media is how this is being allowed to happen, given that there are many heavily Armed Security personnel in and around this building. Its a surprise that these protesters a re this building. Its a surprise that these protesters are simply able to make their way up to the door without being stopped . Make their way up to the door without being stopped . There are going to be some very real questions asked about why there wasnt more done to secure the us capitol. They knew they were going to be thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of pro donald trump protest is descending today. Donald trump has been telegraphing, announcing, trumpeting the rally four weeks and for them to be able to get here and is very important, even though they are generally symbolic proceedings, it is truly remarkable. There have been comments from the dc mayor about how she was encouraging people to stay away from washington, dc and not to confront the protesters. Setting up barriers around the white house that the national guard, the Dc National Guard has been activated to provide security throughout the city of dc. But, at this point, you have to acknowledge that those preparations, because they have resulted in the suspension of the cou nty of resulted in the suspension of the county of the ballots were not enough to secure the capital itself. Another reporter, i never thought i would see this in america and this institution, saying that where is donald trump, we are able to answer that question . Donald trump is in the white house, he returned to the white house after he concluded his speech to these very protesters shortly after one oclock, read on the same time the mike pence was presiding over the beginning of these proceedings and released a statement saying he has no power to throughout the electoral votes that his duties were largely ceremonial and donald trump got back into its president ial motorcade, took a short walk and a half drive from his speech and his initial protests and between the Washington Monument of the white house and has been in the white house ever since. Just looking at his twitter account sing his most recent tweet attacking his own Vice President , he has treated several times some videos of the speech he gave before the protesters but other than that, he is in the white house and you have to imagine he is a consumer of television and he will be watching what is going on right now and the question is what does he think about it and what does he feel he needs to do if these protests and disruptions continue to go on. Thank you. This is quite extraordinary on what is happening outside of the Capital Building, these are life pictures from inside the Capitol Building, the us Capitol Police have announced a Security Breach inside the building as lawmakers but from the building as lawmakers but from the house of representatives and senate have been meeting to vote certify president ial ajoe biden. A joe biden. The ajoe biden. The process of certifying the result has been paused, Vice President mike pence is that leave the senate as well but this is also crucial, the Capital Police are now saying that there is a Security Breach inside the building. Quite extraordinary backing up what we heard from nbc reporters and boston globe reported that those protesters have notjust made their way up the steps but they have actually approach the doors and got through the doors and Many Americans and people watching around the world are asking how on earth is is possible in a building that is so heavily guarded by the Capitol Police and by others. We are going to return to this in just a couple of moments but i do want to bring you other Important News from here in the uk because with labour supporting the lockdown by giving the government a majority of 508. The uk today reported that over a thousand deaths from coronavirus is the highest figure since april, borisjohnson did fix rebellion within its ranks with some conservative mps outlining their concerns before the vote in their concerns before the vote in the former minister branded lockdowns a complete failure. But nonetheless, that has gone through is expected in the lockdown has gone into law. That is turned back to what is happening in washington, dc. Quite extraordinary scenes as a protest to save america march has ended up on the steps of the Capitol Building and the president spoke a little bit at his son spoke a little bit earlier, donald trump spoke at this rally saying that this is not your Republican Party anymore. This is Donald TrumpsRepublican Party that was aimed at republicans who have decided to accept the outcome of this. To accept the outcome that joe biden will be the next president into those the donald trumpjunior said of this rally, this is not your Republican Party, this is donald trump Republican Party and it is evident in spreading as the days and weeks go on after president elect joe biden assumes office. Led me hear now what Donald Trumps son is saying who spoke at this rally. Have a listen