'They failed': McConnell condemns rioters who stormed the Capitol

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned rioters who stormed the Capitol as members of a "failed insurrection," as he pressed forward on lawmakers' effort to finalize President-elect Joe Biden's victory Wednesday.

"The United States and the United States Congress have faced down much greater threats than the unhinged crowd we saw today. We have never been deterred before, we'll be not deterred today. They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed," McConnell said on the Senate floor. "They failed to attempt to obstruct the Congress. This failed insurrection underscored how crucial the task before us is for our public."

McConnell vowed never to let "criminal behavior" deter Congress from exercising its democratic obligations. Earlier, McConnell had angered President Donald Trump when he encouraged Republican senators not to support the president's false claims of a stolen election.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke immediately after McConnell and echoed his condemnation of the rioters. Schumer likened the day's events to the attack on Pearl Harbor, saying Jan. 6 can be added to "that very short list of dates in American history that'll live forever in infamy." Schumer called the rioters "domestic terrorists" and "should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."