Congress reconvenes to certify Donald Trump's victory, four years after his actions sparked a violent insurrection.

 The top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, emphasized that his party will not mirror the actions of Republicans on January 6, 2021. "There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle," he stated.

Law enforcement officers patrol Monday outside the Capitol.

Jan. 6, 2025, 4:00 PM GMT+6

WASHINGTON — On Monday, Congress is set to convene amid a citywide snow emergency to certify President-elect Donald Trump's 2024 victory, exactly four years after he incited a mob that attacked the Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn the certification of his 2020 election defeat and cling to power.

In 2021, 147 Republicans voted to reject the certified results and discount electors for President Joe Biden, despite Trump’s failure to present any evidence of election fraud.

This time, Democrats are focused on ensuring a smooth and uneventful process. They aim to return Jan. 6 to its usual, uneventful role as a procedural occasion where the president-elect is confirmed without controversy. "Two months ago, the American people elected Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a speech on Friday, as Republicans applauded. "Thank you for that very generous applause. It’s OK. There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle."

Jeffries continued, "One should love America when you win and when you lose. That’s the patriotic thing to do, and that’s the America that House Democrats will fight hard to preserve, because we love this country. America is bigger than any one campaign, any one election or any one individual."

Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has conceded defeat and is expected to preside over the certification on Monday, having already visited Capitol Hill to swear in senators on Friday.

On Sunday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a snow emergency lasting until early Tuesday, raising concerns about travel for members of Congress who had left town over the weekend.

“We’ve got a big snowstorm coming to D.C., and we encourage all our colleagues: Do not leave town, stay here,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Fox News Sunday. "Because, as you know, the Electoral Count Act requires this on Jan. 6 at 1 p.m. So whether we’re in a blizzard or not, we’re going to be in that chamber making sure this is done.” Even if some members are absent, full attendance is not required for the certification. Many House Republicans remained in Washington over the weekend for a retreat.

In late 2022, the Democratic-controlled Congress passed a law that reformed the certification process to prevent a repeat of the January 6th, 2021 events and make it more difficult for future presidential candidates to overturn elections.

Key changes included clarifying the vice president’s role, explicitly stating that they cannot refuse to count certified Electoral College votes. Additionally, the threshold to raise an objection to counting electoral votes increased from one member of the House and Senate to one-fifth of each chamber. The reform also added safeguards against "fake electors."

Unlike the events of 2021, when Trump invited his supporters to Washington for the certification and urged them to “fight like hell,” widespread protests are not anticipated this time.

For security reasons, Capitol Police and the Secret Service have erected temporary fencing around the Capitol, and Jan. 6 has been designated a “national special security event.” Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger confirmed that the fencing will remain in place through Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.