Pelosi elected to 4th term as House speaker

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, confirmed today that Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, called the upcoming joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, which will affirm the results of the presidential election, "the most consequential vote" of his lengthy tenure.

"I see that as a statement that he believes it's a -- it's a referendum on our democracy," Romney told reporters.

Sources said that McConnell asked Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on a New Year's Eve call with Republicans to explain to his colleagues why he is planning to object to the certification of Biden’s electoral win during the joint session. McConnell had privately warned his colleagues weeks ago against doing this as it would put his conference in the position of having to oppose Trump (and thereby his base) publicly.

Hawley, in joining the last-ditch bid by Trump's House allies to overturn the election results, said he objected to states not following their election laws. 

"At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections," Hawley said in a statement. There has been no evidence of widespread election fraud.

-ABC News' Trish Turner

In a very rare New Year’s Day session, Senate GOP leadership rejected two attempts to debate and vote on the House-passed CASH Act, which would give most Americans $2,000 in direct COVID relief payments. It was an effort by both Sens. Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders.

Republicans are continuing to argue that the House bill —- which would allow those making up to $350,000 to receive some cash under the act, albeit a smaller amount than those making less -- amounts to "socialism for the rich."

The chamber’s socialist, Sen. Sanders -- continued to argue that Republicans were “hypocrites” —- blocking this effort but approving big tax breaks for the rich. 

He was joined by conservative Sen. Josh Hawley, who slammed the fight by his own leadership. 

“With all due respect, this doesn’t seem to be Republicans against Democrats. This seems to be the Senate against United States of America,” said Hawley. 

-ABC News' Trish Turner

The Senate is set to cast a preliminary vote this afternoon on overriding President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act -- which would be the first of his term.

The House voted overwhelmingly earlier this week to override Trump's veto of the $740 billion legislation, which funds the military and that members from both parties have said is vital to both the troops, who get a raise under the measure, and national security.

Trump has called the bill a "gift" to China and Russia.

In vetoing the measure (which has passed every year for 59 years), Trump demanded that Congress include a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives broad legal immunity to tech companies over contents posted by users. He also wanted lawmakers to nix a provision authored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren that requires DOD to rename military bases and installations that honor Confederate generals.

Congress originally passed the measure with veto-proof majorities, and the House recently voted to override the veto. If the Senate votes to override - as it is expected to -- the bill would become law.

Today's test vote (which should be similar - if not identical - to the final vote) is expected to show more than the two-thirds majority required to override Trump's veto.

-ABC News' Trish Turner

Russ Vought, the current director of the Office of Management and Budget, struck back at President-elect Joe Biden's transition team one day after it leveled allegations that Trump's OMB was hindering the incoming team.

In a lengthy letter detailing what he says are a number of falsehoods, Vought wrote that Biden's team made false accusations about the OMB and said they fully participated in appropriate transition efforts -- including over 45 meetings.

"As the record shows, OMB has fully participated in appropriate transition efforts," Vought wrote. "What we have not done and will not do is use current OMB staff to write the [Biden transition team]'s legislative policy proposals to dismantle this Administration's work. OMB staff are working on this Administration's policies and will do so until this Administration's final day in office."

"Redirecting staff and resources to draft your team's budget proposals is not an OMB transition responsibility," he added.

In a weekly press conference Wednesday, Biden transition spokesman Yohannes Abraham criticized the Trump administration for failing to cooperate with their agency review teams, particularly with political leaders at OMB.

"In normal transitions -- this was the case in 2008, it was the case in 2016 -- OMB career staff provide critical analytical support to incoming administrations as they look towards the execution of their priorities and the production of their budget," Abraham said. "That analytical support has not been forthcoming from OMB. And there have been no signs that it is -- it will be forthcoming in the days to come."

-ABC News' Elizabeth Thomas and Molly Nagle