Impeachment article has 200 cosponsors: US rep.

Biden officially announced key nominations for the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday.

Judge Merrick Garland is his nominee for attorney general, Lisa Monaco is his nominee for deputy attorney general, Vanita Gupta is his nominee for associate attorney general, and Kristen Clarke is his nominee for assistant attorney general for the department's civil rights division.

Biden said he is "honored" that the nominees have "accepted this call to serve at such a critical time in our nation’s history."

"Our first-rate nominees to lead the Justice Department are eminently qualified, embody character and judgment that is beyond reproach, and have devoted their careers to serving the American people with honor and integrity," Biden said in a statement Thursday. "They will restore the independence of the Department so it serves the interests of the people not a presidency, rebuild public trust in the rule of law, and work tirelessly to ensure a more fair and equitable justice system. They are among the most accomplished legal minds in our country who also reflect the best of America’s full range of talents and background."

Hours after a pro-Trump mob broke into the U.S. Capitol to protest the results of the 2020 election, congressional tellers have ascertained Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won.

The announcement was made by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar at 3:39 a.m. Thursday.

Vice President Mike Pence then repeated the totals at 3:40 a.m., first for president, then for vice president.

Biden will take Trump's place in the White House on Jan. 20.

Rep. Louie Gohmert and other House Republicans attempted to object to Wisconsin but did not have a senator join the objection. Gohmert said a senator withdrew his objection.

Biden and Harris finished with 306 electoral votes, while Trump and Pence finished with 232.

In a statement tweeted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino following the news, Trump said: "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!"

This is the first time Trump has publicly accepted Biden's victory and agreed to a peaceful transfer of power.

-ABC News' John Parkinson

After two hours of heated debate, the House of Representatives rejected the Republican objections to certify Pennsylvania's Electoral College ballots early Thursday.

There were 138 House Republicans who voted to sustain the objection, while 64 voted against it and 218 Democrats also voted against it.

No House Democrats voted in favor of the objection, while a majority of House Republicans (68%) did.

The GOP effort to overturn the will of Pennsylvania voters failed in the Senate just a few hours earlier, after the upper chamber completely bypassed debate and went straight to a vote.

With no further objections anticipated, Congress is expected certify Pennsylvania's Electoral College ballots. Congress will then continue counting electoral votes from the rest of the states.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

A brief but tense confrontation unfolded on the floor of the House of Representatives early Thursday morning, with some members appearing ready to come to blows while debating challenges put forth by Republican lawmakers seeking to reverse Biden's win.

Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., used his five minutes to give an impassioned speech during the debate over the Electoral College votes from Pennsylvania.

"These objections don't deserve an ounce of respect. Not an ounce," Lamb said, aiming his comments towards the Republicans in the room. "A woman died out there tonight, and you're making these objections!"

"That attack today, it didn't materialize out of nowhere. It was inspired by lies," he continued. "The members who are repeating those lies should be ashamed of themselves. Their constituents should be ashamed of them."

Rep. Morgan Griffiths, R-Va., then jumped in, attempting to make a point of order and asking for some of Lamb's words to be stricken from the record.

"The gentleman said there were lies on this floor today, looking over this direction. I ask that those words be taken down," Griffiths said to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding Lamb's speech.

Pelosi dismissed Griffiths because he spoke out of turn. Lamb then told Republicans: "The truth hurts."

As Pelosi banged her gavel, attempting to get the lower chamber in order, several members ran toward the back of the room. Sources, as well as reporters who were in the room, told ABC News that House Republicans and Democrats appeared to be confronting each other in the aisle, and a shouting match ensued about who should sit down.

Reps. Andy Harris, R-Md., and Colin Allred, D-Texas, appeared to be on the verge of a fist fight, sources told ABC News. There was shouting, but no punches were thrown.

The heated moment passed just as quickly as it began, and the debate resumed.

The House is expected to vote soon on the Republican objections to certify Pennsylvania's Electoral College ballots. Just hours earlier, the Senate voted 92-7 against the measure.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan