Republicans Raise First Objection in Congress to Biden Win

Republican lawmakers mounted their first official challenge to Joe Biden’s presidential election win Wednesday, objecting to state results from Arizona in the joint session of Congress.

Outside, demonstrators tried to shove their way into the Capitol, scuffling with police, after a fiery rally near the White House in which Trump prodded his supporters to march to Capitol Hill.

In the House chamber, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, flanked by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, rose to object to the typically routine acceptance of electors.

The objection forces two hours of debate in the House and Senate, sending lawmakers away to separate deliberations.

Trump's allies are acting out the pleas of supporters at his huge rally up Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House to “fight for Trump."

The Electoral College vote gave Biden winning tally of 306-232.

Still, Trump vowed to he would “never concede” and urged the massive crowd to march to the Capitol where hundreds had already gathered under tight security.

“We will never give up,” Trump told the noontime rally.

Vice President Mike Pence was most closely watched as he stepped onto the dais to preside over the joint session in the House chamber.

Pence has a largely ceremonial role, opening the sealed envelopes from the states after they are carried in mahogany boxes used for the occasion, and reading the results aloud. But he was under growing pressure from Trump to overturn the will of the voters and tip the results in the president’s favor, despite having no legal power to affect the outcome.

“Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.

But Pence, in a statement shortly before presiding, defied Trump, saying he could not claim “unilateral authority" to reject the electoral votes that make Biden president.

Arizona was the first of several states facing objections from the Republicans as Congress took an alphabetical reading of the election results.

Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes, and eight lawsuits challenging the results have failed. The state’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of an election challenge.