Vice President Mike Pence restarted the Electoral College recertification of Democrat Joe Biden late on Wednesday night following the violence that broke out at the Capitol that forced the Senate to evacuate.
The violence erupted when rioters stormed the Capitol Building following a rally that was held by President Donald Trump where the president repeatedly made statements seemingly attempting to pressure Pence to stop the certification, falsely suggesting that Pence had the power to unilaterally overturn the election results.
“We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms,” Pence wrote on Twitter. “We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, as well as the injuries suffered by those who defended our Capitol today.”
Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift efforts of U.S. Capitol police, federal, state, and local law enforcement, the violence was quelled. The Capitol is secured, and the people’s work continues. We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms. We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, as well as the injuries suffered by those who defended our Capitol today. And we will always be grateful for the men and women who stayed at their post to defend this historic place.
To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the people’s house. And as we reconvene in this chamber, the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy, for even in the wake of unprecedented violence and vandalism at this Capitol, the elected representatives of the people of the United States have assembled again, on the very same day, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. So may God bless the lost, the injured, and the heroes forged on this day. May God bless all who served here and those who protect this place. And may God bless the United States of America. Let’s get back to work.
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And we will always be grateful for the men and women who stayed at their post to defend this historic place. To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the People's House. pic.twitter.com/ytErRKnk4O
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 7, 2021