parallel. 1876 hayes and tildon. don't forget what that commission, that so-called political compromise achieved. it was not just some ordinary governmental commission. it was a commission that killed reconstruction that established jim crow that even after a civil war in which tore this nation apart, it reenslaved african-americans and it was a commission that invited the voter suppression we are still fighting today in america. let me close by saying this. the vote we're going to have here is a clear choice of whether we are going to feed the beast of ignorance or we are going to tell the truth to the american people. we saw that beast today roaming the halls. let's not invite it back. >> majority leader. >> present. i yield five minutes to the

senator from kansas, senator marshall. >> the senator from kansas. >> thank you, mr. president. freedom of speech and the freedom to protest are provided in our constitution. and while i share the same frustrations many americans have over the presidential election, the violence and mob rule which occurred at the u.s. capitol today and across the country over the past year are unacceptable. like all of us in the chamber, i'm thankful for the heroic law enforcement officers who worked feverishly so we can get back to the electoral certification process. during my 29-year career as on obstetrician and gynecologist, too often i had to sit down with patients and give them a very bad diagnosis. it might have been a young mother of three who i delivered all of her babies now with metastatic breast cancer or perhaps cervical cancer all with

a very challenging prognosis. i carefully reviewed all their labs, their x-rays and pathology to make sure i had the facts straight. at the end of the day, my final recommendation was always going to be a recommendation from my heart. i want all my foal low kansas and americans to know i gave much consideration to objecting to state electoral votes as i did for a treatment plan for a serious health concern and today's decision is again from my heart. mr. president, i rise today to restore integrity to our public and i rise to join many of our colleagues concerned for future and current generations. we must restore faith and confidence in our patriotic duties, voting. there is no question our u.s. constitution empowers state legislatures to execute free, legal and fair elections. and fortunately in several

states the clear authority of those state legislatures to determine the rules for voting were usurped by governors, secretaries of states and activist courts. our laws and constitution should always be followed, especially in a time of crisis. i don't ri i rise in hopes of improving the integrity of the ballot to hold states accountable to the system of the electoral college. this is why i urge the formation of electoral commission to give constructive suggestions and recommendation the states can make to make -- >> congress has returned to the capit capitol. we always knew that this responsibility would take us into the night and we'll stay as long as it takes. our purpose will be accomplished. we must and we will show to the country and indeed to the world that we will not be diverted

from our duty, that we will respect our responsibility to the constitution and to the american people. on sunday it was a great -- my great honor to be sworn in as speaker and to preside over a sacred ritual of renewal. as we gathered under this dome of this temple of democracy to open the 117th congress. i said that as we were sworn in then, we accept a responsibility as daunting and as demanding as any previous generation of leadership has ever faced. we know that we're in difficult times, but little could we have imagined the assault that was made on our democracy today. to those who strove to tear us from our responsibility, you

have failed. to those who engaged in the gleeful desecration of this, our temple of democracy, american democracy, justice will be done. today, january 6th, is the epiphany. on this day of revolution, let us pray that this instigation to violence will provide an epiphany to heal. i evoke the song of saint francis. i usually do, the pan tron saint of my city of san francisco and the song of saint francisco is our anthem. lord, make me a channel of thy peace. where there is darkness, i bring light. where there is hatred, let us bring love. where there is despair, let us bring hope. we know that we would be part of history in a positive way today

every four years when we demonstrate again the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next. and despite the shameful actions of today, we still will do so. we will be part of a history that shows the world what america is made of. that these -- this assault, this salt is just that. it shows the weakness of those who have had to show through violence what their message was. my colleagues, it's time to move on. i wear this pin quite frequently. actually, i gave it to our beloved john lewis just the weekend or so before he left us. and it's a flag of our country, a flag of the united states of

america. on it it says one country, one destiny. one country, one destiny. written on the flag. that was also what was embroidered in abraham lincoln's coat that he had on that fateful night. lincoln's party, lincoln's message, one country, one destiny. so on this holy day of epiphany, let us pray. i'm a big believer in prayer. let us pray that there will be peace on earth and that it will begin with us. let us pray that god will continue to bless america. and with that, let us proceed with our responsibilities to the constitution to which we have

just within 72 hours taken the oath to uphold. what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i rise in opposition to the objection. >> the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> madam speaker, it is a sad day in america. it is a wrenching day in america. it is a day in which our words and our actions have had consequences of a very, very negative nature. we ought to watch our words. and think what it may mean to

so some. my remarks were written before the tragic, dangerous and unacceptable actions and unacceptable is such a tame word. my remarks started with madam speaker, the american people today are witnessing one of the greatest challenges to our democracy in its 244-year history. little did i know that this capitol would be attacked by the enemy within. i was here on 9/11 when we were attacks by the enemy without.

we need to all work together to tame and reduce the anger. and, yes, the hate that some sto stoke. what some, not all, mad dom speaker, but some in this house and this senate are doing today will not change the outcome of the election, which is the clear and insurmountable victory of president-elect biden and vice president-elect harris. instead, all they will accomplish is to further the dangerous divisions. this was written before this capitol was assaulted. before this democracy was put

aside by thousands. encouraged by the commander in chief. instead, all they will accomplish is to further the dangerous divisions among our people and energize conspiracy theories, stoked by our foreign adversaries which seek to erode america's confidence in our democracy and our system of free and fair elections. i was here in 2000. i was strongly in favor of al gore for president. and my candidate got more votes than the other candidate. his name was george bush, of course. and one of the saddest days was january 20th of 2001 when our

candidate, who won the election, in my view, was not elected. but it was also one of the proudest moments of my career because the greatest power on earth passed peacefully from bill clinton to george w. bush. not a shot was fired. nobody assaulted this caucus or this congress or this chamber. because we were not disappointed? no. because we were not angry? no. because we believe in democracy. we believe in we, the people. and the way the people -- one of the speakers, i think it was the senator from texas expressed we are here for the people.

if those were the people, we're in a lot of trouble. our electoral system, our democratic system, however, did not break under the strains of the misinformation, the claims of fraud which court after court after court have dismissed out of hand. not because there was a little evidence, because there was no eviden evidence. that's why we're the longest lasting constitutional democracy in the world. i hope all of us in this body are proud of that and understand why that's the case, because, as dick gephart said on this floor many years ago, democracy is a

substitute for war to resolve differences. it proved once more than ever beating strong heart that gives life to our republic and our freedoms. that strength, madam speaker, is derived from our institution and our you are laws. but most importantly it is powered by citizens and leaders commitment to our constitution, not just us. we swear an oath. but it's all of america. barack obama spoke from that chamber and he said, i'm going to be taking another title next year, citizen, and he was proud to take that. and every citizen needs to protect, preserve and uplift our democracy. some today did not do that. many today. 68 years ago in springfield, illinois governor adlie

stevenson gratefully conceded his loss to dwight eisenhower. he said it is traditionally american to fight hard before an election. but then he added, it is equally traditional to close ranks as soon as the people have spoken, not the congress, not the electo electors, the people have spoken. that which unite us as american citizens is far greater than that which divides us as political parties. it was another man from springfield four score and eight years earlier who pleaded even in his hour of victory for the same spirit of reconciliation. that was the party of lincoln.

that hasn't happened to this hour. lincoln said now that the election is over, he asked, may not all having a common interest -- >> to the men and women of the capitol, the police, the national guards men, the metropolitan police and others that came to this capitol that put their lives on the line to protect everyone here working inside it. i want to thank law enforcement all across the country who do that day in and day out. i just want to acknowledge when it comes to violence, this has been a terrible year in america against law enforcement and today we saw it here in the capitol of the united states. and in this country, in the united states of america, we cannot say emphatically enough

violence is not how you achieve change. violence is not how you achieve something better. our constitution was built and put into place so that there would be, in the words of abraham lincoln, no appeal from ballots to bullets, which is what we saw unfortunately attempted tonight. there is no place for that in the united states of america. and that's why i submit to my colleagues that what we're doing here tonight is actually very important. because for those that have concerns about the integrity of our elections, those that have concerns about what happened in november, this is the appropriate means, this is the lawful place where those objections and concerns should be heard. this is the forum that the law provides for our laws, provide for for those concerns to be registered, not through violence. not by appealing from ballots to bullets but here in this lawful process. so to those who say that this is

just a formality today, an antique ceremony that we have engaged in for a couple of hundred years, i can't say that i agree. i can't say that our precedence suggests that. i actually think it is very vital what we do because this is the place where those objections are to be heard and dealt with, debated and finally resolved, in this lawful means peacefully without violence, without attacks, without bullets. so, mr. president, let me just say briefly en lieu of speaking about it later, pennsylvania, which is a state i have been focussed on, objected to as an example of why people are concerns, millions of americans concerned about our election integrity, to say that pennsylvania you have a state constitution that has been interpreted for over a century

to say there is no mail-in balloting permitted except for circumstances provided for in the law. and, yet, last year pennsylvania elected officials passed a whole new law that allows universal mail-in balloting and did it irregardless of what the pennsylvania constitution said. then when pennsylvania citizens tried to go and be heard on this subject before the pennsylvania supreme court, they were dismissed on grounds of procedure, timeliness in violation of that supreme court's own precedent. so the merits of the case have never been heard. the constitutionality of the statute has never been defended. i'm not aware of anybody that has defended the constitutionality and this was the statute that governed this last election in which there are over 2.5 million mail-in ballots in pennsylvania. this is my point, that this is the forum, the pennsylvania supreme court hasn't heard the case. there is no other court to go to to hear the case in the state

and so this is the appropriate place for those concerns to be raised, which is why i have raised them here today. and i hope that this body will not miss the opportunity to take affirmative action to address the concerns of so many millions of americans to say to millions of americans tonight that violence is never warranted, that violence will not be tolerated, that those who engaged in it will be prosecuted but this body will act to address concerns of americans all over the country. we do need an investigation into irregulariti irregularities, fraud. we do need a way forward together. we need election security reforms. i bet my friends on the other side of the aisle don't disagree with that. we need a way to move forward together so that the american people from both parties, all walks of life can have confidence in their elections and that we can arrange ourselves under the rule of law together. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. >> hey. i'm chris cuomo.

welcome to "prime time." we are monitoring what is happening in the senate and the house at this hour. obviously at this hour they are reintroducing their legal duties to certify the electoral votes from the states. now, we're talking this moment to pause. we are monitoring as anything that is said is operative in terms of the state of debate, we'll go right to it. but senator holly of missouri deserves a moment of pause. the kansas city star said he has bloods on his hands for the insurrection attempt we saw today. but for him it may not have happened because we may not have had the level of controversy during this level of procedure we're having. what is the basis of the case against holly? let's look at it in reverse and it will be more clear. his case is this, what happened in pennsylvania, not his state, okay, but that's okay, is wrong and they never had any chance. this all just happened unchecked

so that the senate, this final forum, is the only place and the proper forum to address that. now, first you have the law. the forum that they have right now is not for the litigation of state issues with their election. it was born out of a time when the congress was blind sided by states sending in competing slates of electors and there was nothing in the constitution or in federal law at that time to deal with it. they didn't know what to do in 1872. so they had to come up with rules where they could object to the certifications of those electoral states. they needed a process. but it was not to go through any type of litigation of what happened in states in the certification process in the election process that they are responsible for. then you get to the facts. in pennsylvania, he said they never got to hear it. that's not true. this was an animal of that

legislature. it was tested by that state's supreme court and it was found lacking for federal review. those are three levels, three levels of looking through this situation by the state. so he doesn't have a law and he doesn't have the facts. but i'll tell you what he does have. he has a place in history after what happened today and what he's trying to do on the congressional floor of the senate right now. let's bring in david gregory and michael smerconish. you are on officer of the court there. your reckoning of senate holley is saying has to be done here because pennsylvanians never got a chance to review this. >> i think it's totally delied by the facts as you have already laid out. these issues were extensively litigated in the state court system and in the federal system. and i think most significantly where cast aside by judges,

including one of the third circuit of pennsylvania, the appellate court just below the supreme court of the united states who was a donald j. trump appointee. so it makes for great sound bytes. and i said particular attention to where he said we're not talking about fraud. part of this continuing disconnect between what the president has said in social media, that which rudy giuliani has said in the court of public opinion but not which that has been litigated. it stunned me for the last two months. >> taihe has to know what smercd i are discussing. by all accounts, he is an intelligent man. the focus of stupidity here seems to be what he projects on to the people that are hearing him, that they're dumb enough to buy him. what is his political play that is worth what happened today? >> let me back up for a second and ask this question. who is he to question the

knowledge of the supreme court of the united states who decided not to intervene? who is josh holley to weaponize his education and experience as a court clerk at the supreme court to suggest that this is the place to overturn the will of the people? that is not the job. his own colleague knows better. rand paul i heard on fox news earlier saying this is not a protest. it is not an objection. it is attempt for congress to overturn the will of the states. his political play is plain. i think he wants to be president one day. and he made a calculation in his very ambitious way that he was going to try to stay close to donald trump and to trumpism, whether it's truthful or not and ride it as far as he could, and he is accountable in part for what he's wrought and for what all of these lies have wrought, and that is the events of today. that is what's playing. if you want to be serious, if

you want to be an elected representative of the united states and you want to be serious, then you can take up after an election that has been certified and you can take it up with the state legislatures. i thought he was a republican and believed in state's rights. go lobby the state legislature about making changes about when you can solicited ballots. don't presume to lie to the american people about that's the place, on the floor of the senate to do it. who is he to be a usurper of this way? >> michael, what do you make of the move of him sticking to his guns even after today after we have been watching one of the most notable things is the people i call retrumplicans are sounding a lot more national tonight. but not him. let's get an example of it in realtime. here's senator romney, one of the first to condemn the actions

of today as on trump's head. >> i saw the images being broadcast around the world, and it breaks my heart. i have 25 grandchildren, many of them were watching tv, thinking about this building, whether their grandpa was okay. i knew i was okay. i must tell you as well, i was proud to serve with these men and women. this is an extraordinary group of people. i'm proud to be a member of the united states senate and meet with people of integrity as we do here today. now we gather due to a selfish man's injured pride and the outrage of supporters who he has deliberately misinformed for the past two months and stirred to action this very morning. what happened here today was an insurrection incited by the president of the united states. those who choose to continue to support his dangerous gambit by objecting to the results of the

a legitimate democratic election will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy. fairly or not, they will be remembered for their role in this shameful episode in american history. that will be their legacy. i salute senator langeford and loeffler and brawn and danes and others who in the light of today's outrage have withdrawn their objection. for any who remain insistent on an audit in order to satisfy the many believe wwho believe the e was stolen, i offer this. no congressional audit is ever going to convince these voters, particularly when the president will continue to say that the election was stolen. the best way we could show respect for the voters who were upset is by telling them the

truth. [ applause ] >> that's the burden. that's the duty of leadership. the truth is that president-elect biden won the election. president trump lost. i've had that experience myself. it's no fun. scores of courts, the president's own attorney general, state election offic l officials both republican and democrat have reached that unequivocal decision. and in light of today's circumstances, i ask my colleague do we weigh our own political fortunes more hefly than we weigh our republic and the cause of freedom? what's the weight of personal

acclaim compared to the weight of conscious? leader mcconnell said that the vote today is the most important in his 36 years of public service. think of that. authorizing two wars, voting on two impeachments. he said that not because the vote reveals something about the election. it's because this vote reveals something about us. i urge my colleagues to move forward with completing the electoral count, to refrain from further objections and to unanimously affirm the legitimacy of the presidential election. thank you, mr. president. [ applause ] >> democratic leader. >> senator from new hampshire. >> mr. president, on january 3rd, i, along with 31 of my colleagues, stood in this chamber and swore an oath to support and defend the

constitution of the united states. it's -- >> take a break from the senator. we are monitoring what is happening in the senate. the house is having its own concurrent roll call there. they will end the work of their constitutional tonight. mitt romney came up and made the point that we were circling around which is how holley and cruz and others will be remembered. he used the words as complicit in today's shameful events. your take? >> i agree with him. and may i say that although i don't agree with senator romney on a whole host of issues, i admire his sense of decorum and civility. i bet you know this, chris, but it bears repeating. famously he flies alone and in coach. and when he did so yesterday, last night, to go from salt lake to washington, he had people in his face chanting, traitor, traitor, traitor. and i worry about people who watch an incident like that,

hear of it, maybe are inclined to be in public service and say, why would i subject myself to that? we need more people with a sense of civility like senator romney, and we can't afford them to be chased out of the public arena. >> now, david, we've heard many of our colleagues today saying the events were surreal, unimaginable. i disagree. i think it was all too real. i think this is where we are, and we have been blind to it, many of us who don't get to travel around the country a lot. this is who we are. there are a lot of people who believe with what those people were thinki ing and doing todayt the capitol. the question is, does this mark a beginning or an end for this country? >> well, look, i think there is some positive to take out tonight. i think that speeches we're hearing on the floor of the house and senate are very important tonight. mitt romney, a prominent among them, and there have been

others, republicans and democrats -- >> but only democrats were clapping for romney. when they started clapping for him, we wanted to know who. it wasn't his own party. keep going. >> nevertheless, republicans and democrats made some very important points on a day being built up as a lot of theater and a lot of nonsense and people have taken stock. i try to be more positive after the events of today where i think republicans have an opportunity to reflect on the path that they're headed down. i don't think -- even those who were, you know, who nursed grievances who were pro-trump, i don't think this crowd, this mob today is reflective of them. >> yeah. >> i don't think they would resort to violence. they were whipped up and vulnerable to this president's message, who went out of his way to tell them to take that anger to the capitol and that was wrong. >> michael, let me get a quick button from you and i want to go

to jim acosta of what's happening at the white house. i want to say will this be an end point where we pivot to something better? >> yeah. but i'm really angry about something. i'm angry about a lot of things. one of them was this was not a sneak attack executed against drinking heshians on christmas. this was predictable. this was incited. and, chris, this could have been catastrophic. if those folks burst into the capitol armed with automatic weapons instead of gags and flags, we would have a catastrophe on our hands. and how the hell the capitol was able to be breached really requires investigation. >> i say god forbid because they either weren't ready and there are also deeper questions. the video of them letting people through barricades, taking selfies with the protesters.

would it have been the same if they were black? and then they're saying, they were black. they're all antifa people. we know it would be different if they were black. that's part of the poison here. i think there will be some reporting coming out of here that we have to analyze. jim acosta is at the white house. word that people in the cabinet, there are concerns. do you hear this? and if so, to what extent? >> reporter: yeah, chris. and i think there is a lot to analyze about all of this. i'll try to walk-through it as best as i can. but i'm hearing from a well placed republican source there have been preliminary conversations going on inside the cabinet among some cabinet members about invoking the 25th amendment of the constitution to force the removal of the president trump from office. now, that is a dramatic step. it's never been taken before, and it's something that hasn't really been contemplated until really today with the events that we saw unfolding up on capitol hill. i am told that this talk of

using the 25th amendment to force president trump from office has reached capitol hill. there are some republican senators who have been briefed on this who understand that these discussions are taking place and so word is spreading that this may end up happening. now, the process is complicated, chris. the vice president and a majority of the cabinet would have to determine that the president is unable to carry out the duties of his office. the president could contest that and then it would go to the congress and you would need, i think, a two-thirds vote in each house in the house and the senate for the president to be removed from office. >> that's right. >> that is obviously a tall order given the makeup of the senate as we see. we saw from the impeachment trial of president trump there are few, if any, republican senators willing to throw the president out of house. getting to two-thirds will not likely map. the president's mental state has also come up in talking to my

sources. i talked to a trump adviser who speaks with the president who said that the president has lost it. he's lost it are the words used by this adviser. i talked to a separate source close to the white house earlier this evening who says that the president is being seen by staff members as being, quote, unstable and ranting and raving. so, chris, there are serious questions about the president's mental state. i take no pleasure as a reporter over here in the white house in reporting that, but that is the fact of the matter it appears this evening from talking to my sources. there are questions about the president's mental state and discussions about whether or not the cabinet should invoke the 25th amendment along with mike pence, a process that would make mike pence president of the united states, but again a process that is ultimately not likely to pan out with the removal of president trump from the office if he fights it. >> there are also some periods at play within the statutory language of the amendment, how much time congress would have,

how much time the president would have. i don't know if it would wind up being relevant given how much time is left. but it is indicative of the mindset of what's happening from people in and around the white house. right now i want to jump to kaitlyn collins because while a move on the president doesn't seem as likely, she is hearing about something that is more likely, which is people making a decision that now is the time to step away and try to somehow salvage their reputation before they go down in the legacy of this president. what are you hearing? >> chris, it will raise questions if they can do that. what difference it makes resigning when there are only two weeks left. but we have two staffers that have resigned in wake of what happened today and the president's response is directly responsible for that. but we are now learning that several high-ranking officials are now considering resigning. that includes the national security adviser robert o'brian who is incredibly close to the president, typically a pretty

big ally of his. o'brian came out in support of the vice president, putting on a statement calling him courageous, praising what he did today and saying that he is a good man that o'brian has known for some time. of course that comes as the president has been complaining about pence all day. but also the deputy national security adviser who played a key role in the response to the pandemic at the beginning, he was the one urging people in the west wing to wear masks when nobody was. he is also considering resigning. we're actually told his resignation could come as soon as tonight. a third top official, the deputy chief of staff chris ladell is also considering resigning. several others are also considering resigning. of course, if they ultimately do, the question is going to be, you know, why was this what drove you to eventually resign from your job in donald trump's white house when there is only a few weeks left given everything

that has happened over the last four years. but tonight people inside the west wing are shaken by this. they're shaken be i the president's behavior, how he has responded. we were told earlier he was reluctant to deploy the national guard even as officers there were being overwhelmed by the president's own supporters going in and breaching the building. so it's behavior like that and in the president's latest tweet defending that mob saying that this is what happens when you steal an election. it is that kind of behavior that is behind the resignations that are currently being talked about and the ones we could get and we should note they are expecting a lot of them could come over the next several days. >> thank you very much. you hear anything else, you know how to get right to me. i'll come right back to you. remember, we're getting through the speeches so that we can get to the actual votes about the certification of the state, see if there are any other

objections. we'll take it on. the 25th amendment, smerc, do you see this as likely? >> i don't see it as likely, but i have to be open to the process for this reason. when the 25th amendment has come up previously on this president's watch, i have always answered by saying, well, of course, mike pence is never going along with that. but today was a turning point, right? i mean, today was the day that the president threw via twitter the vice president multiple times under the bus. so what might be the vice president's mindset tonight? probably a lot different than it's been for the last four years. >> resignations, david. what would they mean? >> i don't think very much at this point. i think, you know, there is a lot of people i have talked to that have served in this administration who are now out, who are trying to build the case that if they weren't there, things could have been a lot worse. well, very difficult to argue at this late stage. people may be legitimately horrified by the president's

words and his actions today. but at this point, it's just a chaotic end of an administration that is in tatters and has been and stained really from the beginning. so i don't think people will put much stock in it. and i don't think the republican leaders are looking for any more drama right now. you know, democrats are going to take over the congress. they're going to assume the presidency. i think this is a night of some reflekction on the part of republican leaders who recognize the peril they're in politically but the damage that was done to our country. i covered 9/11 like you did and part of that was a failure of our imagination of our vulnerability as a country. that is there as a democracy as well. it's also incredible resilient. we're seeing both ends of that today, and we have to sit with that before we leap to the next round of what may just be

speculation. >> brothers, hold on a second. we have former congressman will hurd who put out a strong statement. it is good to see you. i hope you and the family are well. what was your sense of why today happened? >> look, today happened because a number of our elected leaders incentivized this behavior and, you know, poured gasoline on a problem. and one of the things that i learned -- look, what is shocking to me in all this is my time overseas. you know, i spent about a decade as an undercover officer in the cia. i have been at embassies that were overrun, blown up. i never would have expected i saw the spectacle today in washington, d.c. and for any kids that may be watching, right, staying up late with their parents, this is not how we settle our differences in

the united states of america. and the fact that there are some of those people that were there that actually believe some of these conspiracy theories that is being pushed by the president and some of the people that are enabling him is -- is scary. and let's put it politics aside, right? be honest and do the right thing. we know. let's take georgia. georgia there was three count. one of them was counted by hand. some of these same people that are questioning whether there was rethink the election and the senate needs to have a ten-day commission to look at things, these are some of the same people that were against adding money to the department of homeland security to defend the digital infrastructure after the 2016 election that we know the russians tried to get into the election. so this is -- be honest. do the right thing. but also politically, guess what? every republican -- almost every

republican that won in 2020 outperformed donald trump. >> right. >> donald trump was a drain on people. not a benefit. so why are you continuing to think that somehow in 2022 this is going to be a good thing? and so let's stop trying to pursue our own political agenda. and when we put our hand on our heart and pledge allegiance to the flag, it's for the flag of the united states of america. we don't pledge allegiance to a man or an individual. that's what makes our country great. and i will say this, chris. the one thing i do know about america is that in times of crisis we know how to band together and come together. and i think we're seeing a little bit of that glimmer on the senate floor and the house floor, and i hope we all are able to step back and recognize that what is happening is we're becoming a joke around the world. i have had friends from all over the world text me be like,

what's going on? the fact that the president of turkey -- >> yeah. >> -- is putting out tweets saying, hey, we need to caution working together. people in venezuela are doing the same thing. enemies are taking advantage of this. but we have to step back and also think, why do some of these people believe this? how do we address this? how do we rebuild that trust. >> right. >> that many americans have lost. >> well, you know this, transparency builds trust. that is based on truth. you know these things. you were a fair broker on the house. will hurd was a member of congress, representing texas. now, two questions. one is a point of pushback. the counter argument is, will, this is who we are. this is how we're settling things. this is what trump has even gendered with the help of many men and women in your party, smart members of your party, cruz, holley, supreme court clerks, smart men pushing bad

arguments they have to know are bad ferments tensions. what ownership must your party have, the party i have started calling the retrumplicans that they must own for contributing to today? >> they contributed to today. i'm not a lawyer. my degree is in computer science. but at the top of the hour you were talking about what's happening in pennsylvania. and why is a senator from missouri questioning what's happening in pennsylvania when it's already gone through those processes. by the way, i thought our beliefs was state's rights and that the states, you know, have this ability in order to conduct their elections and use their legal system in order to review that. and they both know that there is -- congress can't do anything in ten days. they're going to do a ten-day commission to look into some of these things? that's not the place where you have those debates. >> look, i think it's

politically, right? they think this will gain them some political clout with some future voters, right? and, look, you know, the part of being a leader, right, is explaining and being honest, right? and being committed to some ideals. we need to have national leaders that inspire, not fear monger or incite violence, right? and that's where -- i believe that, you know -- and i'm going to push back on you, chris. >> go ahead. >> what we saw happen this afternoon in the capitol, that's not what america is about. that's a handful of the fringe, right? what america is about is when you crisscross this country, 80% of americans when they put their hand on their chest and they love this country, they know what it's about and they want to make sure that we have checks and balances. they believe that, you know, the ends don't justify the means. they want to love their neighbor

like themselves, right? that's the way real america is. but guess what? that's not sexy. that doesn't get clicks, right? it doesn't create interesting conversations on late night news. but that is where we need to encourage that kind of behavior, and that's why i love this country and i still believe that our best days are ahead of us and that this is a moment for us to reflect. >> right. look, i agree with you as long as we let today live in infamy and hold the people to account who foemted this. when you start lying to them for weeks and months on end and it gets backed up, this is what we get. now, there is one other quick question, will and then i want to get back to the floor. thank you for being with us. >> sure. >> the security today, how were they not set up? why am i seeing footage of security letting people through barriers and taking selfies with

protesters? do you think this was about giving a pass to people because they were white or because they were for >> well, i think you have the last black lives matter protests, you had helicopters circling washington, d.c. i can't speak to the tactics, techniques, and procedures used today. this was -- we should've known yesterday when there were protests around washington, d.c., around this. you knew that if the president was going to kick off a rally and have everybody march down to the capitol that this was going to be a problem. you should've been on notice. you should've had the d.c. police ready to go. there's going to be a lot of monday morning quarterbacking, but i will say this, i'm glad they got the situation under control so that congress can finish their job. >> absolutely. >> finish that job tonight in order to show that a mob, that violence is not going to stop us

and can't stop democracy. but there should be a lot of questions being asked. think about all those new members. this is day four. think about those new staffers that are bushy tailed and bright eyed and excited to be there. they don't even know where the restrooms are. >> right. >> and so imagine that was going on. and these questions should be asked so we don't allow something like this to happen in the future. we also got to make sure we get through the rest of the week. >> that's right. let's try to get through the rest of the week. hey, will, look, god bless. we're in a position to have congress seated again and doing their job after a day like today. that does show resilience that adds to the promise going forward. will herd, best to you. you're always welcome here. >> thank you, brother. happy new year. >> happy new year. back to the floor of the senate. this is chris van holland giving his speech. >> -- wrote about a famous change in his diaries between elizabeth powell and benjamin franklin.

wrote a lady asked dr. franklin, what do we got? a republic or a monarchy? a republican, replied dr. franklin, if you can keep it. my colleagues, this is a test. of whether we are united to keep a republic. i hope we will pass the test together. thank you. >> majority leader. >> mr. president, i yield up to five minutes to the senator from south carolina, senator graham. >> senator from south carolina. >> many times my state has been the problem. i love it. tim and i have a good relationship. i love tim scott. 1876, south carolina, louisiana,

and florida sent two slated electors. they had two governments, by the way. and we didn't know what to do. why did south carolina, florida, and louisiana do it? to hold the country hostage to end reconstruction. it worked. the commission was 8-7. it didn't work. nobody accepted it. the way it ended is when hayes did a deal with these three states. you give me the electors, i'll kick the union army out. the rest is history. it led to jim crow. if you're looking for historical guidance, this is not the one to pick. [ laughter ] if you're looking for a way to convince people there is no fraud, having a commission chosen by nancy pelosi, mitch mcconnell, and john roberts is not going to get you to where you want to go.

it ain't going to work. so it's not going to do any good. it's going to delay and it gives credibility to a dark chapter of our history. that's why i'm not with you. but i will fight to my death for you. you're able to object. you're not doing anything wrong. other people have objected. i just think it's a bad idea to delay this election. trump and i, we've had a hell of a journey. i hated being this way. oh, my god, i hate it. from my point of view, he's been a consequential president. but today, first thing you'll see, all i can say is count me out, enough is enough. i've tried to be helpful. but when this wisconsin supreme court ruled 4-3 that they didn't violate the constitution of wisconsin, i agreed with the 3, but i accept the 4. if al gore can accept 5-4, i can

accept 4-3. pennsylvania, it went to the secretary circuit. so much for the judges being in trump's pocket. they said, no, you're wrong. i accept the pennsylvania second circuit that trump's lawsuit wasn't right. georgia, they said the secretary of state took the law into his own hands and changed the election laws unlawfully. a federal judge said, no, i accept the federal judge even though i don't agree with it. fraud. they say there's 66,000 people in georgia under 18 voted. how many people believe that? i ask give me ten. haven't had one. they said 8,000 felons in prison in arizona voted. give me ten. i haven't gotten one. as i say, there's problems in every election. i don't buy this. enough's enough. we got to end it. vice president pence, what they're asking you to do you won't do because you can't.

you talk about interesting times. i associate myself with rand paul. how many times will hear that? [ laughter ] the mob has done something nobody else could do to get me and random to agree. random is right if you're a conservative, this is the most offensive concept in the world that a single person could disenfranchise 155 million people. the president of the senate and the presidents of the senate and the house of representatives open all certificates and the vote shall then be counted. the person having the greatest number of votes for president shall be president. where in there does it say mike can say i don't like the results? i want to send them back to the states, i believe there was fraud. to the conservatives who believe in the constitution, now is your chance to stand up and be counted. originalism, count me in. it means what it says.

so mr. vice president, just hang in there. all of us can count on the vice president. you're going to do the right thing. you're going to do the constitutional thing. you got a son who flies f-35s and a son-in-law who flies f-18s. they're out there flying so that we can get it right here. there are people dying, my good friend from illinois, to make sure we have a chance to argue among ourselves and when it's over, it is over. it is over. the final thing, joe biden. i've traveled the world with joe. i prayed he would lose. he won. he's the legitimate president of the united states. i cannot convince people, certain groups by my words, but i will tell you by my actions that i above all others in this body need to say this. joe biden and kamala harris are

lawfully elected and will become the president and the vice president of the united states on january the 20th. [ applause ] >> majority leader? >> mr. president, i yield back the balance of our time. >> all time has expired. the question is, shall the objection submitted by the gentleman from arizona, mr. gosar, and the senator from texas, mr. cruz, and others be sustained? is there a second? there is.

clerk who called the roll. >> ms. baldwin. >> no. >> mr. bureauo. >> no. >> mr. bennet. >> no. >> mrs. blackburn. >> no. >> mr. blumenthal. >> no. >> mr. blunt? >> no. >> mr. booker? >> no. >> mr. boseman? >> no. >> mr. brawn? >> no. >> mr. brown? >> no. >> mr. burr? >> no. >> ms. cantwell? >> no. >> mrs. capito? >> no. >> mr. cardin? >> no. >> mr. carper? >> no. >> mr. casey? >> no.

>> mr. cassidy? >> no. >> ms. collins? >> no. >> mr. kunz? >> no. >> mr. cornyn? >> no. >> ms. cortez masto? >> no. >> mr. cotton? >> no. >> mr. cramer? >> no. >> mr. crapo? >> no. >> mr. cruz? >> ai. >> mr. deigns? >> no. >> ms. duckworth? >> no. >> mr. durbin? >> no. >> ms. ernst? >> no. >> mrs. feinstein? >> no. >> mrs