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WASHINGTON — The date “Jan. 6” is now etched into American history because of what happened on Capitol Hill four years ago.
After listening to then-President Donald Trump speak, thousands of his supporters swarmed the Capitol, trying to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election. Trump continues to falsely claim he won that election and has downplayed the severity of what happened that day, even calling in a “day of love.”
By law, Congress counts the electoral votes cast for president on Jan. 6. Normally, it’s a day without drama, and lawmakers hope it’s that way this year.
“Last January, 6, I was locked in my office for hours and hours, and then we finally got a chance to vote,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison. “I’m hoping that doesn’t happen this time. So I guess I am hoping for a significantly different January 6 this time. But you know, generally, it’s a pro forma process to go through, and I assume it will be again this year.”
“I’ll vote to certify,” said Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua. “In 2020, I chose not to because of the election improprieties that were out there. And I thought we saw a much cleaner election. Not perfect, but I thought there was a much cleaner election, this one, so yes, I’ll be voting for certification.”
Congress will meet in a joint session to count the electoral votes. At the end of the count, Vice President Kamala Harris, who presides over the Senate and lost to Donald Trump in November, will announce the results.
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