I was sitting in the Senate press gallery on Wednesday afternoon, writing an email to the CBS News office describing the events of the last half-hour debate about objections to the Arizona voter list, when the vice president Mike Pence was suddenly and quickly evacuated from the Senate chamber. I assumed it was for security purposes, given the crowd of loud protesters who gathered outside the building.
I quickly prepared another email for my editors, informing them that Pence had left, figuring it was a false alarm. But soon the Senate gallery officials shouted “lock the doors” and it was clear that the situation was serious. Reporters were taken to the press gallery above the Senate chamber, and the doors were locked. We could hear the muffled sound of the rioters outside.
Electronics are not allowed in the camera, but I brought my laptop and cell phone inside to let my editors know I was safe. The senators were on the phone, presumably calling their loved ones, while the police were looking at the locked doors. At one point, Senator Amy Klobuchar shouted that shots had been fired, urging her colleagues to stay away from the doors and take the situation seriously.
Suddenly, senators started lining up to be evacuated. Reporters were initially trapped in the gallery on the third floor, overlooking the camera. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker called reporters on the porch, asking how we were doing. I laughed, probably with a hint of hysteria. “We’re doing great,” I shouted back.
Reporters were dragged out of the chamber and guided by Capitol police alongside the senators to safety after the Senate went into recess.
Minutes later, protesters entered the chamber, posing for selfies at lawmakers’ tables and in the chamber pit. Fortunately, while senators and officials were evacuating, a quick-witted Senate aide had the presence of mind to take Electoral College ballots with them, Senator Tammy Duckworth later told CBS News.
We stayed in a safe place for several hours. Just before 5 pm, Capitol officials brought trays of food and drink to lawmakers and reporters sitting in the anteroom outside where the senators were meeting. I sat on the floor, loaded my phone and wondered what would happen next.
At one point, Senator Ted Cruz left the room full of senators. A reporter asked him if he felt any responsibility for the day’s events, given his support for opposing the results of the Electoral College. Cruz did not answer, but turned and went back to the living room.
We were allowed to return to the Capitol just before 7pm. I walked down the aisle on the Senate subway, directly behind the employees who carried boxes full of ballots from the Electoral College.
It seemed surreal to enter the Senate Chamber again and watch the debate resumed. The atmosphere in the chamber was dark and heavy, charged with the knowledge that today would not be forgotten anytime soon. Vice President Mike Pence’s comments were greeted with a standing ovation from both sides of the corridor.
Ultimately, the Senate voted against objections to Arizona’s 93-6 count.
The vote continued into the night, with yet another objection – to the results of Pennsylvania – which ended up failing. At 3:38 am, Wyoming’s results were confirmed and Pence announced the victory of President-elect Joe Biden at 3:40 am.