Harris to oversee electoral count, restoring norm that Trump shattered

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

Today at 6:00 a.m. EST


Vice President Kamala Harris has called President-elect Donald Trump a threat to American democracy. She has said he is a fascist. She has predicted he would abuse the powers of the presidency. She has warned that he should “never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States.”

But on Monday, in her constitutional role as president of the Senate, Harris will preside over a joint session of Congress that oversees the counting and certification of the electoral college votes affirming that Trump — despite the alarms she sounded during her 107-day sprint to the November election — will again assume the powers and trappings of the presidency.

The task, by statute, always falls to the vice president on Jan. 6 following a presidential election, and this will not be the first time the role may be excruciating. Four other vice presidents who sought the nation’s highest office — including Al Gore and Richard M. Nixon — have had to stand in the House chamber, in front of hundreds of lawmakers, and formalize their own loss. But Monday’s event stands out for the sheer intensity of the warnings that Harris and other Democrats sounded about the dangers of the man whose victory she is set to formalize.

The certification carries additional historical importance because it comes just four years — and one presidential election — after a violent mob, infuriated by Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen by Joe Biden, stormed the U.S. Capitol as then-Vice President Mike Pence presided over the 2020 electoral count. This time, Trump is welcoming the result and Democrats are showing no signs of claiming fraud. Even so, law enforcement officials are planning extensive security arrangements to ensure nothing disrupts the proceeding. Harris intends to make sure the certification goes smoothly, aides say, partly as a pointed contrast to Trump’s unwillingness to do so four years ago.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/04/harris-oversees-certification-trump-victory/

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No paywall (gift)

[Midnight Writer]

1. There is a part of me that want her to step up and refuse to certify the election.

Then, after the Republicans freak out, say "I'm just kidding. What kind of imbecilic, juvenile stunt would it be to refuse to certify the election?"

[Wicked Blue]

2. Not going to happen but

I wonder how they would feel if thousands of us tried to do an insurrection like they did.

[Girard442]

3. The only reason I can think for her to do it is to avoid the dungeon.

Which is an OK reason, I suppose. Otherwise, what would she be accomplishing?

[ancianita]

5. The only reason for her to do it is the fact that it's her constitutional duty.

...The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;....

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxii

[Autumn]

4. There is nothing that will ever be normal about her overseeing an electoral count

to confirm that a rapist, a man who stole and shared top secret document, a man convicted of 34 felonies, a man who wants to destroy the very institutions that make our government and the American people safe will be certified as president. It's a disgusting perverted show.

[riversedge]

10. But it has to happen and VP Kamala Harris will carry it out with dignity--that I know.

[Icanthinkformyself]

6. It's sad to see

the Democrats, once again, allow the Republicans to take the highest office after committing treason to attain it. They have allowed Nixon, Reagan, Bush I and II as well as the current convicted felon to take office when they had a means to prevent it at the end and would not take action. Throw a few monkey wrenches into the gears and make some damn noise for once. It's very discouraging that the party leadership is so complacent.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. ????

They have allowed Nixon, Reagan, Bush I and II as well as the current convicted felon to take office when they had a means to prevent it at the end and would not take action.

So you support "extra-judicial" solutions (because the the courts = "judiciary" thwarted the attempts at justice)?

[Kaleva]

8. What are you doing?

Are you not a Democrat?

Your comment:

"It's sad to see
the Democrats, once again, allow the Republicans to take the highest office after committing treason to attain it. "

But I suspect you'll not do anything and will go about your life like everything is normal despite what you may say on social media.

[Bengus81]

9. Sure...it's what Democrats always do

Just to have it thrown back in our faces over and over. Now look at Trump BITCHING about flags at half staff for Carter during his Inauguration--and claiming "no one wants that".

Hey Trump...go ahead and DIE ASAP and I will gladly accept flags at half staff for a month following YOUR death. Make my FUCKING day you POS.

[riversedge]

11. .....The certification carries additional historical importance because it comes just four years --

Jan 6th is still so vivid in my mind--it will always be I am sure.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/04/harris-oversees-certification-trump-victory/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzM1OTY2ODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzM3MzQ5MTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MzU5NjY4MDAsImp0aSI6IjU1MTViOGM2LWNiYWYtNDAzOS05YjFjLTNkY2Y4MDU2MzUwZSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDI1LzAxLzA0L2hhcnJpcy1vdmVyc2Vlcy1jZXJ0aWZpY2F0aW9uLXRydW1wLXZpY3RvcnkvIn0.JR1NspgHK5u58f9PQQmqQfyF0E5UbTzW8D57cvOpat8
................
The certification carries additional historical importance because it comes just four years — and one presidential election — after a violent mob, infuriated by Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen by Joe Biden, stormed the U.S. Capitol as then-Vice President Mike Pence presided over the 2020 electoral count. This time, Trump is welcoming the result and Democrats are showing no signs of claiming fraud. Even so, law enforcement officials are planning extensive security arrangements to ensure nothing disrupts the proceeding.

Harris intends to make sure the certification goes smoothly, aides say, partly as a pointed contrast to Trump’s unwillingness to do so four years ago.

Presidential historian Tim Naftali noted that from the first days after Harris’s loss, she and Biden made it clear they would provide “the kind of transition for Donald Trump that Donald Trump refused to provide for them four years ago.” Harris promised in her concession speech to ease the new administration’s transition to power, while Biden hosted Trump — whom he had called an “existential threat” — in a White House meeting that was so cordial it annoyed some of Biden’s fellow Democrats.............................

[Boomerproud]

17. I was definitely "annoyed" at that White House meeting.

I was sickened by it.

[LiberalLovinLug]

12. She MUST carry out this task, painful though it is........BUT...

I really wish she had, for all intents and purposes, just continued on with her campaign. Take a page from Trump and his continued rallies right after he lost last time.

I understand that the US is not like Canada, where I am from. And that there is no official opposition leader. Who even after losing the election, would still carry weight and be the voice of all the people who voted against the upcoming administration. in this case nearly half of the voting public.

I so wanted her to continue to admonish Republicans, and warn the public about what is coming. Continue to be center stage for Democrats. Go on Fox again even. Even reiterate in interviews how Americans were about to be offered the $50,000 startup business write off and $6000 child tax credit. As well as bragging about the strongest economy in the world they built after COVID.
..........THEN, the next day, come onto Capital hill and do her constitutional duty and hand over the reigns, in a serious and solemn manner. With the general pubic very very aware of her, and many others, dire concerns.

Your system has its strengths, but has weakness in this department. Sad coincidence that President Biden is deteriorating so rapidly or I'd say he should take on that role. But Kamala was popular, she was a great communicator, and the US is in a tenuous place.

I suspect that Nancy and the old guard would have frowned on this. But dammit, I wanted to see that Democrats are still in a fighting mood. That they won't go out with a whimper, but from their snubbing of AOC, to the closeting away of Kamala, or ANY D politician standing up and assuring the half that did not vote for the criminal rapist, that they are still here and fighting for them. Shocking silence.

[andym]

13. Al Gore performed the same task for Bush

After going through a process that raised grave doubts that the actual winner was being awarded the Presidency.

[FakeNoose]

14. Al Gore had to do the same thing in 2001

[FBaggins]

15. And she has to hear herself refered to as "madam president" over and over again as part of the process

I'm sure she can handle it... but it's unfortunate

[BumRushDaShow]

16. She has broken vote ties in the Senate MANY MANY times

and was referred as that repeatedly when in that role, so not really something "new".

(in fact, any female Senate Pro-Tem is called that - the outgoing one - Patty Murray, would have been, as an example)

[FBaggins]

18. For those she hadn't just lost...

... when she was running to be a the first "madam president" POTUS