Axios

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement to lawmakers Wednesday that Congress will finish certifying President-elect Biden's Electoral College victory after a mob supporting President Trump violently breached the Capitol Building and prevented lawmakers from certifying the vote earlier that day.

The big picture: Pelosi said the joint session of Congress will reconvene after the building is cleared for use again and work through the night, adding that the mob assault cannot "deter us from our responsibility to validate the election of Joe Biden."

President Trump tweeted his support for the protesters who invaded the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, insisting that Americans should "[r]emember this day forever!"

What he's saying: Trump, who falsely claims the election was stolen from him, wrote: "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long."

The National Guard joined state and federal law enforcement on Wednesday afternoon in attempting to curtail a pro-Trump protest that turned violent as rioters breached the U.S. Capitol and Senate chambers during the Electoral College vote count.

Driving the news: Vice President Mike Pence encouraged the Pentagon mid-afternoon to rapidly deploy the National Guard to the Capitol, sources briefed tell Axios' Jonathan Swan.

On a day of high ceremony, a pro-Trump mob overran police barricades and invaded the U.S. Capitol while lawmakers inside were meeting to certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

The state of play: With rioters loose inside, police locked the House and Senate chamber doors as some lawmakers took cover and others evacuated. The mob banged on the chamber doors, breaking the glass. Reporters inside the Capitol said they heard shots fired. Smoke billowed outside.

Leading business groups condemned President Trump following the violence at the Capitol, with the National Association of Manufacturers urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump and "preserve democracy."

Why it matters: Big business is usually friendly territory for President Trump, who falsely claims the election was "stolen" from him and encouraged protestors to march to the Capitol building. But folks are speaking out ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's tenure and insisting the violence cease.

Major news outlets around the world carried news of the demonstrations and mob breach of the Capitol in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, showing how huge of an impact the disruption of democracy in America has on other places around the world.

President-elect Joe Biden called on President Trump to demand his backers end their siege on the Capitol on national television, saying the violence "borders on sedition and it must end now."

Driving the news: “President Trump, step up,” Biden said, speaking a little after 4p ET, after a mob of Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol to try to block lawmakers’ certification of Biden’s Electoral College win.

President Trump on Wednesday tweeted a video telling demonstrators from the "March for Trump" who invaded the U.S. Capitol to "go home," and falsely claimed that the election had been stolen from him.

Why it matters: The shocking breach of the Capitol came after Trump encouraged protesters to march on Congress. "I know you're hurt," Trump said, adding baseless claims that the election "was stolen from us," and calling it "a landslide..."

Democrat Jon Ossoff has defeated former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) in Georgia's runoff race for the U.S. Senate, AP projected Wednesday.

Why it matters: The projected victory came hours after Rev. Raphael Warnock defeated Sen. Kelly Loeffler and officially secures Democratic control of the Senate. The 50-50 split means that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tie-breaking vote after Jan. 20.

Demonstrators from the "March for Trump" stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, resulting in the evacuation of lawmakers, staff and reporters and the lockdown of at least three buildings.

Why it matters: The attack occurred during a joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote for Joe Biden. Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who are respectively second and third in the line of succession, have been moved to undisclosed locations. The rest of the House and Senate are sheltering in place.

America's vaccination rollout is going much slower than expected, with only around 5 million vaccinations to date. Meanwhile, COVID-19 is causing record hospitalizations and deaths, with much of the country's economic and educational engine stuck in neutral.

Axios Re:Cap digs into what's gone wrong and what happens next, with STAT News senior reporter Helen Branswell.

Former President Obama on Wednesday recalled the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and congratulated the Rev. Raphael Warnock on his election to the Senate.

What he's saying: "My friend John Lewis is surely smiling down on his beloved Georgia this morning, as people across the state carried forward the baton that he and so many passed down to them," Obama said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday rebuked his Republican colleagues' efforts to block the certification of the Electoral College, saying in an emotional speech on the Senate floor that overturning the results of the election "would damage our republic forever."

Why it matters: In a complete break from President Trump and other Republicans, McConnell denounced "sweeping conspiracy theories" about widespread election fraud and said he "will not pretend" voting to overturn the election would be a "harmless protest gesture."

Republicans objected to certifying the Electoral College count on Wednesday in a final effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Why it matters: President Trump and his allies have no other path to change the election and are relying on this last ditch effort that will ultimately confirm Joe Biden as the next president.

Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday that he lacked constitutional authority to follow President Trump's wishes to throw out Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden.

Why it matters: Trump has been pressuring Pence to overturn the election results as part of an ongoing attempt to subvert Biden's clear win, which failed to garner evidence or support through various legal battles. Trump will view Pence’s statement as the ultimate act of betrayal.

Russian cyber operators are almost certainly still rummaging through U.S. networks, potentially lifting data or setting traps for future havoc even as officials scramble to assess the damage Moscow's hack has already dealt.

Why it matters: The hack, powered by malicious code inserted into an update of SolarWinds network management software, could be among the most significant in the country’s history, perhaps on par with China’s hack of the Office of Personnel Management or Russia’s 2014 hack of the State Department.

Addressing a huge crowd of loyal supporters south of the White House, President Trump declared that he will never concede to Joe Biden and attacked "weak Republicans" — calling out "the Liz Cheneys of the world" — for failing to support his efforts to overturn the results of the election.

Why it matters: It's a new escalation in Trump's war against the GOP, which has pitted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other mainstream Republicans against the most popular figure in the party. Cheney is a member of House Republican leadership, meaning that Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will likely be forced to respond.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that one of his first priorities in the 117th Senate will be to pass legislation that would send $2000 stimulus payments.

Why it matters: If Jon Ossoff holds his lead over former Sen. Perdue, Schumer is set to become the next majority leader with the power to steer legislation. The election has not yet been called.

President Trump last night signed an executive order prohibiting transactions with eight Chinese apps, including Ant Group's Alipay, arguing they pose a national security threat.

Why it matters: This is the latest example of ratcheting up economic tensions with China, using private companies as pawns.

There's no doubt about the outcome — Congress will ratify Joe Biden's election win and he'll be sworn in on Jan. 20 — but that won't stop today's political theater that may drag late into the night.

• Here's our guide to watching the certification debate, with input from legislative aides, historians, election experts and Axios' Ursula Perano.

There are lots of energy policy implications if Democrats have indeed pulled off a surprising sweep of Georgia's Senate races that hands them both chambers of Congress. As of 10am Wednesday, Raphael Warnock has defeated Kelly Loeffler, and Jon Ossoff is on track to beat David Perdue.

The big picture: Senate rules work against moving big bills without a supermajority (a topic we explored yesterday). But that said, the party in power controls the agenda and has some room to maneuver even with the thinnest possible margin.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared on Wednesday that Democrats have gained control of the Senate, calling it a "brand new day" in Washington.

The state of play: The AP projected that Rev. Raphael Warnock has defeated Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R). Democrat Jon Ossoff is currently leading in the race against former Sen. David Perdue (R), but the contest is still too close to call.

Consumer sentiment has increased consistently since the passage and signing of the latest coronavirus relief bill, new surveys show.

Driving the news: Morning Consult's Index of Consumer Sentiment rose 1.51 points from the prior week to 87.74.

If both Democrats ultimately pull off wins in Georgia's Senate races, they'll secure a narrow Democratic majority and increase the odds that significant health care legislation could become law.

Driving the news: Democrat Raphael Warnock defeated Republican Kelly Loeffler for one of the Senate seats, AP called early this morning. A winner has not yet been declared in the race between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue.

With his anger rising at Georgia officials, President Trump resisted going back to the Peach State after his first runoff rally on Dec. 5.

Behind the scenes: He told advisers he didn't think he needed to go back. Both candidates, Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, put in a huge behind-the-scenes effort to get him to go back. He plugged them during his Monday rally, but also ranted about the state's Republican officials and election machinery.

Republicans, who enabled President Trump with their silence and compliance, are privately furious with him for blowing their Senate majority.

Driving the news: Democrat Raphael Warnock was declared victor over Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of the twin Georgia runoffs at 2 a.m., and will become the Southern state's first Black senator. Democrat Jon Ossoff is on track to beat former Sen. David Perdue in the other runoff, with most of the outstanding votes in Democratic strongholds.

Democrat Raphael Warnock has defeated Republican Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia runoffs for the U.S. Senate, AP projected early Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's a massive, high-dollar win that brings Democrats one step closer to controlling the Senate. Democrat Jon Ossoff's bid against former Sen. David Perdue is still too early to call, per AP. Both Ossoff and Warnock need to win in order for Democrats to gain a potent 50-50 split in the Senate.

Nearly 3 in 4 Democrats say the organized effort in Congress to block certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College win is a threat to America's democracy, while 6 in 10 Republicans say it's a defense of it, according to a new SurveyMonkey poll for Axios.

The big picture: The poll shows how badly Biden has been damaged by two months of baseless allegations of election fraud. Just 58% of Americans accept his win as legitimate, while more than one in four doesn't — and most of those skeptics say they won't buy it even if Congress certifies the results today, as expected.

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) announced Tuesday night that he's in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

Why it matters: He's the second House member this week to test positive for the coronavirus after having the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, following Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas). Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine and others require two doses to protect against the virus.

Go deeper:

• Pfizer: "No data" to show single dose of vaccine offers protection after 21 days
• FDA says stick to the vaccine plan on two-dose regimen

Enrique Tarrio, leader of the far-right Proud boys accused of burning a church's Black Lives Matter banner, has been released from custody but ordered to stay away from Washington, D.C., until his next court appearance.

Why it matters: The order by D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond banning him from the District of Columbia prevents him from legally attending Wednesday's Trump rally in D.C., when Congress is set to certify the electoral college votes. He may be arrested if he does.

This week is all about power. Power in the Senate. Power in the White House.

Why it matters: If there's a currency in this town, it's power, so we asked several former Washington power brokers to give us their best tips for new members of Congress — as well as a certain incoming president.

Before senators begin debating an expected challenge to Arizona's Electoral College vote Wednesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell will deliver a weighty speech trying to save the Senate from itself, people familiar with his plans tell Axios.

Why it matters: The majority leader had hoped to keep his fellow Republicans from challenging the 2020 election results, but now that over a dozen senators will, the history-lover aims to keep his party from even deeper self-inflicted wounds.

President Trump will award three athletes the Medal of Freedom on Thursday, including a posthumous award to two-time Olympic gold medalist Babe Zaharias, according to White House officials.

Why it matters: The ceremony is part of Trump's final awards spree in the remaining days of his presidency. On Monday, he awarded the Medal of Freedom to House Republican Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). He's scheduled to dole out the same honor to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) next week.

It's not just the presidential election that matters big time.

What it means: The outcome in tonight's Georgia runoff elections will decide the fate of Biden's presidency, from whether he gets his Cabinet nominees to whether progressives get their tax hikes and public spending.

George W. Bush and Laura Bush will attend President-elect Joe Biden's swearing-in ceremony, but Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter will not attend the inauguration, spokespeople for the former first couples said Tuesday.

Why it matters: This is the first inaugural ceremony the Carters will have missed in over 40 years. Former President Carter, 96, has in recent years survived several falls and cancer, among other illnesses.

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that prohibits transactions with eight Chinese software applications, claiming they pose a national security threat given their ability to access private information about their users.

Why it matters: The order comes two weeks before Trump leaves office, and it remains unclear whether President-elect Biden will continue enforcing Trump’s bans on Chinese companies.