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It's official: Obama is the next US president
Jan 8, 2009, 18:01 GMT
Washington - The US Congress confirmed Thursday that Barack Obama won the presidential election, clearing the final hurdle to certify the election before Obama is sworn in on January 20.
In a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, Congress declared that Obama defeated Republican Senator John McCain in the Electoral College by a 365-to-173 tally, and that Joe Biden will become the next vice president.
Electors from the 50 US states submitted their votes on December 15 in the state legislatures, but the US Constitution requires Congress to count the votes and certify the result.
The joint session was presided over by Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Under the Constitution, Cheney serves as the president of the Senate, but only casts a vote to break a tie.
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