Congress finalizes Biden's win after riot disrupts Capitol

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.

Former President Barack Obama has issued a statement following today's violence on Capitol Hill where he implored Republicans to "choose reality and take the first steps toward extinguishing the flames."

Obama added: "I’ve been heartened to see many members of the President’s party speak up forcefully today. Their voices add to the examples of Republican state and local election officials in states like Georgia who’ve refused to be intimidated and have discharged their duties honorably. We need more leaders like these — right now and in the days, weeks, and months ahead as President-Elect Biden works to restore a common purpose to our politics. It’s up to all of us as Americans, regardless of party, to support him in that goal."

The Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine called on Vice President Mike Pence to organize the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office. 

"Whether you like Vice President Pence or not, the fact is he is more fit for office... we need a commander-in-chief that will fulfill his constitutional responsibilities," he told CNN tonight.

"I would ask the vice president, please go the next step," continued Racine. "Do your constitutional duty. Protect America, stand up for democracy, and invoke the 25th Amendment.

"That requires Vice President Pence to move and get a majority of the Cabinet or majority of the Congress to immediately remove the President because he so clearly is not fit for office," said Racine, earlier in the conversation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is back in his office and both he and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said they will make statements on the Senate floor when it comes back into session.

Some senators have already returned to the floor.

Per McConnell's press secretary Doug Andres, he will deliver remarks on the floor at 8 p.m. ET.

Neither leader would say if there is an agreement to expedite the ballot objections.  

There are many heavily armed Department of Homeland Security Police who have taken up positions around the Senate chamber on the second floor.

President Trump’s first Secretary of Defense James Mattis called the riots in Washington, DC, today a "violent assault on our Capitol, an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule" and said it "was fomented by Mr. Trump.” 

Mattis said Trump has used “the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo-political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice.”

A big group of senators from both sides of the political aisle left the secure spaces of the Capitol grounds, and Sen. John Hoeven told CNN they are working “on an expedited process” to consider objections to state vote counts. It hasn’t been finalized yet, he said.

CNN asked Sen. Mitt Romney what his message is to the country, and he said, “Come together with a new president.”

Asked about the next steps, Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham said they are to “finish the constitutional work of confirming Biden and Harris.”

Sen. Josh Hawley would not answer when asked if he would still object to Pennsylvania's electoral votes, and Sen. Roger Marshall would not answer if he still planned to object to Georgia and Pennsylvania's presidential election votes.

Former President Bill Clinton denounced the violence at the US Capitol, saying in a statement “Today we faced an unprecedented assault on our Capitol, our Constitution, and our country.”

"The assault was fueled by more than four years of poison politics spreading deliberate misinformation, sowing distrust in our system, and pitting Americans against one another. The match was lit by Donald Trump and his most ardent enablers, including many in Congress, to overturn the results of an election he lost," Clinton said.

He went on to say that the peaceful transfer of power must be completed.

Vice President Mike Pence has returned to the Senate, his press secretary tweeted Wednesday evening.

"Vice President Mike Pence has returned to the Senate. He never left the Capitol. @VP was in regular contact w/ House & Senate leadership, Cap Police, DOJ, & DoD to facilitate efforts to secure the Capitol & reconvene Congress. And now we will finish the People’s business," his press secretary said.

The US Secret Service wanted Pence to leave the Capitol complex, and everything was in place, but Pence wanted to remain on site, a source familiar said.

The source says Pence's Secret Service detail remained with him through the entire ordeal. 

A separate source said regarding the resumption of tonight's joint session of Congress, “he’s going to do his duty.” 

Democratic Rep. Adam Smith said he quickly realized that extremism in the US is the true threat, as he learned the US Capitol building, which he was in, was being stormed by a violent pro-Trump mob.

"What was going through my mind is… extremism is an enormous problem in this country, and Donald Trump is just throwing matches all over the powder kegs," he said, speaking with CNN's Erin Burnett this evening. 

"The rest of the country that enabled him is what we really need to work to fix," continued Smith, who is the the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. "You need to understand the dangers of extremism. We have gotten to the point we don't understand rule of law matters."

"It isn't that you get your way all the time and if you don't get your way you have to fight until you do." he continued. "…You play by the rules and when it's over, you accept the outcome and you govern this country."

"We need to push back on the extremism," he concluded.

But Smith also reserved harsh words for President Trump.

"Donald Trump, is a narcissistic psychopath, let's just be clear about that," said the congressman. "He stumbled his way into the presidency. What he believes from a policy standpoint is irrelevant. He is an egotist, cares about himself, period."