117th Congress convenes with eye on Trump, GOP election protests

"Let's sit down and have a drink," the Dean of the House tells Speaker Pelosi.

Pelosi wins a likely final term as Speaker. She likes ice cream more than alcohol. Democrats talk strategy for the counting of Electoral Votes. President Trump is still sending nominations to the Senate. This is "Regular Order" for January 4, 2021.

PELOSI WINS FOURTH TERM AS SPEAKER. In what's expected to be her final term, Nancy Pelosi was re-elected on Sunday as Speaker of the House for the 117th Congress, winning the support of a handful of Democrats who voted against her two years ago. Five Democrats refused to vote for Pelosi: Golden ME, Lamb PA, Slotkin MI, Sherrill NJ and Spanberger VA. Pelosi's 216 votes was the smallest number for a Speaker since John Boehner won 216 in 2015.

• LET'S SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DRINK. Giving the oath of office to the Speaker, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) - the Dean of the House - implored Pelosi to engage in more compromise with the GOP. "I love this institution," Young said, as he indicated his displeasure with the rancor of Congress. "Let's sit down and have a drink," Young proposed. Pelosi said she doesn't drink, but told Young she would be happy to sit down for ice cream, a statement which was swiftly denounced by one Republican lawmaker.

Colby Hall @colbyhall

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) gets a standing ovation for saying 'It's time we hold hands and talk to one another’ before administering the oath of office to Speaker Pelosi. Lovely moment.

AS FOR JANUARY 6. House Democrats will use a conference call this morning to go over the procedures for the Electoral Vote count on Wednesday. Pelosi warned the process could be lengthy, but says the outcome is guaranteed, no matter the objections lodged by the GOP. "At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States," Pelosi wrote in a letter to fellow Democrats.

• DEMOCRATS DENOUNCE TRUMP PHONE CALL. Democrats expressed outrage on Sunday after the leak of a weekend phone call, where President Trump presses Georgia officials to find the votes needed for him to win that state. "I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes," the President said at one point. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) says he will introduce a resolution today to censure Mr. Trump, saying the request by the President was illegal.

WHICH ELECTIONS ARE INVALID? There was an interesting moment on Sunday when Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) asked that House members from Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia not be sworn in. Roy argues that if an election for Congress is okay in those states, why aren’t the Electoral Votes for President legitimate? The House went ahead with the oath for all lawmakers. Roy is part of a small group of Republicans who say Congress must accept a Joe Biden victory: “We must count the electoral votes submitted by the states.”

Congressman Ken Buck @RepKenBuck

We must respect the states’ authority here. Though doing so may frustrate our immediate political objectives, we have sworn an oath to promote the Constitution above our policy goals. We must count the electoral votes submitted by the states.

buck.house.govRep. Ken Buck Leads Group of House Members In Statement Respecting States’ Authority to Select Own ElectorsReps. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Tom McClintock (R-Cal.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) released the following statement concerning the January 6 attempt to overturn the results of the election. “We, like most A…

A VERY HAPPY FIRST DAY. While the pomp and circumstance was much less than usual because of the Coronavirus, it was still a great day for new members. There really isn't a much better feeling for a freshman member of Congress than getting to your Capitol Hill office, and seeing your name on the wall.

Rep. Nancy Mace @RepNancyMace

Such an incredible feeling. I have absolutely no words. It's the honor of a lifetime to speak for the #Lowcountry in Congress. Let’s get it done! #LowcountryFirst #Congress

VIRUS CHANGES. One regular event for the first day of a new Congress which did not occur because of the virus outbreak was the "mock" swearing-in, where members and their families pose for photos with the Speaker. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy decided to do it anyway for new GOP members.

TRUMP STILL SENDING NOMINATIONS. A day after dozens of his nominations expired at the end of the 116th Congress, President Trump on Sunday sent 30 new nominations to the Senate - for everything from Homeland Security Secretary to federal judges, boards, and even for the post of Ambassador to the Bahamas. One might guess the chances of a Trump Cabinet pick or an Ambassador getting confirmed by the Senate right now would be less than zero.

THE MUSE OF HISTORY. How are things different now? On this day, January 4, 2001 - after a bruising and extended post-election vote fight - the Senate held the first confirmation hearing on a member of President-Elect George W. Bush's Cabinet, 16 days before Bush was to take the oath of office. That’s not happening in 2021, clearly.

UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

House meets at 10 am to pass new rules for the 117th Congress.

Senate meets next on Wednesday.

President Trump holds a campaign rally in Georgia.

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“Conference reports may be brought up at any time. Any further program will be announced later.”