Congress finalizes Biden's win after riot disrupts Capitol

President Trump, who has proven over the past year to be eager to deploy the National Guard when violence breaks out, initially resisted doing so on Capitol Hill today as a mob of his supporters breached the building, according to a source familiar.

Vice President Mike Pence was on the phone with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, according to another source, and encouraged a much quicker deployment of the National Guard to the Capitol to help quell the rioters who were breaking through security barriers and overwhelming Capitol Police.

However, the source notes, Pence does not have authority over the National Guard.

As reported earlier, a White House adviser said some aides around Trump were furious that the President didn't do more to stop the insurrection at the Capitol. The adviser said aides have been all but begging Trump to come out and make a statement to begin to calm the situation.

A White House official said aides to the President went to Trump to have him make the order to deploy the national guard to the US Capitol. The official said aides also asked that Trump record a video calling for an end to the siege on the Hill.

A source familiar with the situation said White House staffers are "horrified" by the violence at the Capitol and are worried there will be more trouble on the streets tonight.

"He doesn't want to" to do more than what he is doing right now, the adviser said.

"If we could throw him to the angry mob, we'd throw him to the angry mob now," the adviser said.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler changed her mind about objecting to Georgia election results in the aftermath of today's riots.

"I cannot now object to the certification of these electors," Loeffler said.

It's unclear if anyone else will object to Georgia.

Her colleagues applauded after her speech.

CNN projected last night that Loeffler will lose the Senate Georgia runoff election to Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock.

At the request of the US National Guard, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is deploying 1,000 members of the New York National Guard to Washington, DC, “to aid and facilitate peaceful transfer of power,” Cuomo said in a statement Wednesday. 

The troops will be deployed for up to two weeks. The decision was made at the request from the US National Guard. Cuomo said the deployment “will not impact our state's ongoing efforts to contain and combat the Covid virus.”

Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, vowed tonight to work together with fellow members of Congress "to be able to set a peaceful example for the days ahead."

Lankford acknowledged that Congress will certify President-elect Joe Biden's win tonight.

"The peaceful people of Oklahoma want their questions answered, but they don't want this what happened today," he said, referring to the rioters who stormed the US Capitol today. "They also want to do the right thing, and they also want to do it the right way. They want to honor the constitutional process but they also want to have debate about the election security because they want to make sure it is right. Transparency and government does not seem like a bad idea."

He continued: "Obviously the commission that we have asked for is not going to happen at this point and I understand that. We are headed towards tonight towards the certification of Joe Biden being the president of the United States and we'll work together in this body to be able to set a peaceful example for the days ahead."

Lankford took the floor after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted President Trump in fiery remarks from the floor.

"Make no mistake, make no mistake my friends. Today's event did not happen spontaneously... This President bears a great deal of the blame," Schumer said.

Watch the moment:

The Kansas City Star called Republican Sen. Josh Hawley in an editorial today, and said he "deserves an impressive share of the blame for the blood that’s been shed"

Hawley, who was elected to represent Missouri in 2018, announced his intentions last week to object when Congress counts the Electoral College votes.

It's not yet clear whether Hawley will drop those objections following today's violence on Capitol Hill. Hawley did not respond to questions about his plans on the way back to the Capitol.

The Kansas City Star writes:

Lawmakers have resumed debate on an objection to Arizona's Electoral College vote count, picking back up where they were when both chambers were forced to recess. 

Republicans were debating the objection before rioters stormed the US Capitol and prompted the proceedings to halt.

A group of House and Senate Republicans had planned to object to at least an additional two states' election results on Wednesday, but it's not clear if they will follow through forcing those votes in the wake of the riots at the Capitol.

While they were waiting for the Senate chamber to be readied for debate to resume, senators tried to cajole the Republicans who had planned to object to Georgia and Pennsylvania to back down after they finish debate over Arizona's election results, two Senate sources familiar with the conversations told CNN.

"We're trying to expedite matters," said Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, predicting the counting would be finished Wednesday evening.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this evening delivered a powerful condemnation of the events that transpired in the US Capitol today and lay the blame for the violence on President Trump. 

"This temple to democracy was desecrated," he said, speaking moments after the Senate had reconvened following the violence. "…This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away, the final terrible indelible legacy of the 45th oresident of the United States, Undoubtedly, our worst." 

Schumer -- who will lead the Senate starting on January 20 after Democratic victories in this week's Georgia runoffs gave his party control -- then spoke directly about President Trump's role in the mob's attack on the Capitol.

"Now January 6 will go down as one of the darkest days of recent American history, a final warning to our nation about the consequences of a demagogic president," he added. 

Watch:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lambasted rioters who breached the US Capitol and caused Congress to pause its electoral vote count.

"We will not bow to lawlessness, or intimidation. We are back at our posts, we will discharge our duty under the Constitution, and for our nation. And we are going to do it,  tonight. " McConnell said.

McConnell added that Congress will continue the certification process despite the "failed insurrection" attempt.

McConnell ended his remarks by stating that Congress will certify "the winner of the 2020 presidential election."

Hear McConnell speak:

Vice President Mike Pence reconvened the joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win tonight following violent rioting at the US Capitol today.