GOP leader McConnell finally acknowledges Biden won election

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Democrat Joe Biden as president-elect on Tuesday, saying the Electoral College “has spoken.”

The Republican leader's statement, delivered in a speech on the Senate floor, ends weeks of silence over President Donald Trump's defeat. It came a day after electors met and officially affirmed Biden's election win.

“I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said.

“Many of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result,” he said. "But our system of government has the processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken.”

McConnell called Biden someone “who has devoted himself to public service for many years.” He also congratulated Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, saying “all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time.”

Biden told reporters that he called McConnell on Tuesday to thank him for the remarks. As Biden departed Wilmington, Del., to campaign for Democrats in the Georgia runoff elections for Senate, he said they had a “good conversation.”

"We agreed to get together sooner than later,” Biden said.

The Senate leader's speech followed a groundswell of leading Republicans who have now said that Biden is the winner of the presidential election, essentially abandoning Trump's assault on the outcome after the Electoral College on Monday confirmed Biden's victory.

McConnell prefaced his remarks with sweeping praise for what he characterized as Trump’s “endless” accomplishments during four years in office. He said Trump delivered on a promise to “shake up Washington,” and cited the president's nomination and Senate confirmation of...