Congressional Republicans were lively Monday after lawmakers gathered to confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the White House.
“It went great. It went smoothly. This is a textbook transition of power. This is how a democracy is supposed to work,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., shared praise for both Republican and Democratic leaders who hosted the largely festive event.
“It was really neat to see the certification go smoothly. I thought Vice President Harris handled it well. It was nice to have JD Vance in the house as well, as a current senator at the time, but he was about to become Vice President of the United States so that , you know, very historic,” he told reporters.
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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Sen. Ted Cruz were two Republicans who signaled it was time for the GOP to get down to business after confirming President-elect Trump’s victory. (Getty Images)
Like Comer, House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., noted how peaceful the process was.
“Everybody accepts the fact that President Trump won the electoral college and the election. So the Democrats really don’t deny that he didn’t have the mandate to carry out his agenda. And we’re going to make sure we help him get it done,” Hern told Fox News Digital .
Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., said Monday marked a “great day in American history.”
“We have no time to waste. We need to get back to work immediately, as soon as possible,” Mace said.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, emphasized the Republicans’ landslide victory in the November election, telling Fox News Digital, “It was a clear mandate from the voters, and now we have to start working to fulfill that mandate.”
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First-term Rep. Mike Haridolopos, R-Fla., said he was excited to begin executing the GOP plan now and noted the snowstorm that shut down much of Washington, D.C. except for Capitol Hill on Monday.
“I think we’re all excited to start the Republican trifecta,” he said. “I’m so excited about it and I’m glad it’s behind us. It took a snow day to make it happen, but we’re definitely here and ready to go.”
Vice President Kamala Harris led the certification process. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who is also just beginning his first term in Congress, called the process “fascinating.”
“It was really great to see the process today. It was an honor to be there, and just a privilege to be a part of it,” Sheehy said. “And the snowstorm, I think, is symbolic — the winds of change are coming. We’re going to get this country back on track.”
Representatives of the House of Representatives and the Senate gathered in a joint session of Congress to confirm Trump’s victory Vice President Kamala Harris, which according to the Constitution was obliged to conduct the proceedings.
The orderly process was a sharp contrast to the scene in the hall of the House of Representatives four years ago when rioters protesting against the results of the 2020 elections stopped the proceedings and forced the deputies to hide for several hours.
Unlike four years ago, when lawmakers were forced to finish the certification a few hours after midnight, Monday’s event ended at one o’clock.
New Sen. Tim Sheehy said the snowy conditions were symbolic of the ‘winds of change’ in Washington. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Not a single Democrat objected to Trump’s victory, unlike in 2016, when several progressives questioned his victory.
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“I think it just showed that America is really ready for … a new page and a new beginning,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said of the certificate. “You saw that, at least on the Republican side, we were pretty excited about the results of our election.”
And Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., another Florida lawmaker and Trump ally, told Fox News Digital, “We’re happy that we didn’t have any issues with the certification, or the challenge of the certification. And everybody’s very happy to have Donald J.” Trump and JD Vance in the White House, at the Naval Observatory, and we’re ready to make America great again.”
