Gore had a reputation for being wooden and uncharismatic. Here, though, he was some mixture of dry, resigned and self-effacing. “The Chair,” he said, “is advised by the Parliamentarian that Section 17 of Title 3, United States Code, prescribes a single procedure for resolution of either an objection to a certificate or other questions arising in the matter. That includes a point of order that a quorum is not present. The Chair rules, on the advice of the Parliamentarian, that the point of order that a quorum is not present is subject to the requirement that it be in writing and signed by both a member of the House of Representatives and a senator.”

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