[ti:Congress Confirms Biden’s Win, Calls for Trump Removal] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The United States Congress officially confirmed President-elect Joe Biden [00:07.44]as the winner of the 2020 presidential election early Thursday. [00:15.04]The confirmation process was halted for hours Wednesday [00:20.08]when extremist supporters of President Donald Trump [00:24.96]attacked and occupied the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. [00:31.60]A growing number of Democratic Party lawmakers and some Republicans [00:37.56]are now calling for Trump to be removed from office, [00:42.36]13 days before his term ends on Jan. 20. [00:48.96]Democratic Party Senate leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, [00:54.76]"The quickest and most effective way—it can be done today [00:59.96]—to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President [01:05.48]to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. [01:09.96]If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, [01:15.72]Congress must reconvene to impeach President Trump." [01:21.20]Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger added, [01:25.16]"with a heavy heart I am calling for the sake of our Democracy [01:30.44]that the 25th Amendment be invoked." [01:35.20]The 25th Amendment permits a replacement for a sitting president [01:40.88]who cannot perform "the powers and duties of his office." [01:47.08]Vice President Mike Pence and the majority of the Cabinet [01:52.32]would have to declare Trump unfit. [01:56.20]Then, they would send a letter to the speaker of the House [02:00.32]and president pro tempore of the Senate saying so. [02:05.44]The vice president then becomes acting president. [02:10.76]Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. [02:16.92]She joined the call for Trump's removal. [02:20.20]She added, "If the vice president and Cabinet do not act, [02:25.36]the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment." [02:31.76]Several members of the Trump administration, [02:35.00]including Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao [02:39.20]and the first lady's chief of staff, [02:42.56]have also resigned in the hours since the attack. [02:47.56]Pence, who presided over the joint session of Congress, [02:51.76]announced that Biden had won the Electoral College vote [02:56.08]early Thursday morning. [02:58.48]The count was 306 to 232. [03:04.04]Trump has refused to accept the election results [03:07.96]and urged his supporters Wednesday to march to the Capitol. [03:13.60]However, after Pence confirmed the winner, Trump released a statement. [03:19.48]He said, "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, [03:25.96]and the facts bear me out, [03:28.68]nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th." [03:35.56]The statement was posted on the Twitter account of a presidential assistant. [03:41.08]Twitter and Facebook had suspended Trump's personal accounts [03:45.56]following the violence at the Capitol. [03:49.28]On Wednesday, a pro-Trump mob of thousands marched to the Capitol [03:54.80]after Trump spoke to the group near the White House. [03:58.80]The mob broke through metal barriers, pushed past police officers, [04:04.32]broke windows and climbed up the sides of the building. [04:09.84]As lawmakers were led to safety, [04:12.68]the rioters marched through the famous Rotunda area. [04:17.00]They carried signs and shouted that Trump had won the election. [04:21.40]Police officers blocked the door to the House of Representatives. [04:26.92]The violence resulted in four deaths [04:30.12]including one rioter who was shot inside the Capitol. [04:35.56]Lawmakers returned to work Wednesday night, after the Capitol was secured. [04:41.28]Pence reopened the Senate, telling the attackers, [04:45.20]"You did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. [04:50.60]This is still the people's house." [04:54.56]Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell added, [04:58.24]"They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed." [05:03.88]The riots led several Republicans to drop [05:07.36]their expected objections to electors for Biden. [05:12.76]Senator Mitt Romney of Utah was the Republican Party candidate [05:17.48]in the 2012 presidential election. [05:20.80]He blamed Trump for the attack. [05:24.76]"What happened here today was an insurrection [05:28.12]incited by the president of the United States, " he said, [05:32.36]adding, "The best way we could show respect for the voters [05:37.44]who are upset is by telling them the truth." [05:42.48]I'm Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM