WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th January, 2021) US legislators will meet on Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's win in a presidential race with President Donald Trump's supporters expected to mount vociferous, perhaps even violent, opposition both inside and outside the Capitol building, demonstrations that will hardly be sufficient to change the outcome of the election.
Hundreds of National Guard troopers were activated to assist regular police units in maintaining order in Washington, DC, where the incumbent's fans will stage a rally in defense of Trump's claims that he was deprived of a victory through an elaborate voting scheme in several swing states.
The Congress certification is viewed as the final and under normal circumstances a purely procedural step of determining the next US President, preceding the Inauguration Day on January 20.
Both legislative chambers - the House of Representatives and the Senate - will convene at 1.00 p.m. EST (6:00 p.m. GMT) for a joint session to count and confirm Electoral College votes that were cast on December 14 and certified in 50 states and DC. The tally to be presented to lawmakers supports Biden by 306 to 232, fully mirroring a November 3 popular endorsements pattern.
The rules require US Vice President Mike Pence, who will be presiding over the joint session, to unseal states' certificates in alphabetical order and pass them to four "tellers" - a Democrat and a Republican from each chamber of the Congress - for reviewing and pronouncing the contents.
The procedure may be interrupted by an objection that has to be initiated by at least one Senator and member of the House. If it's the case, chambers split up and have up to two hours to debate each motion and vote on it before converging for a continued count. For an objection to matter, it needs a bicameral approval, an improbable outcome with the Democratic-led House of Representatives and many Republicans weary of Trump's unsuccessful efforts to overturn the defeat.
Yet, all hiccups may delay the certification until Thursday.
A dozen of Senators, a clear minority in the chamber, said they will oppose the certification unless a commission is established to perform an "emergency 10-day audit" of the election returns in states they view as "disputed." Conspicuously absent among the group is Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, who has recognized Biden as President-elect.
Trump has repeatedly entertained the possibility of Pence stepping in to block the certification. He tweeted on Tuesday that the Vice President has the power "to reject fraudulently chosen electors." Pence, however, made no indication that he is willing to stretch a largely ceremonial interpretation of his role likened by some in the media to that of a presenter at the Oscar awards event.
As thousands of his supporters are expected to take to the streets in Washington, DC, starting on Tuesday, Trump predicted that the gathering will be "wild" and promised to address it outside the White House. Wary of violence that marred two previous pro-Trump rallies, the capital requested an assistance from the National Guard. About 340 personnel will be activated to assist police with controlling crowds at metro stations and enforcing street closures, the National Guard said in a release.
