Congress certifies Obama's re-election

WASHINGTON -- Congress made the obvious official yesterday. President Barack Obama has been re-elected.

In a joint session, Congress formally certified that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were the winners in the November election with 332 electoral votes, well more than the 270 required. Republican Mitt Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, won 206 votes.

It's a mostly ceremonial -- yet constitutionally necessary -- count that's steeped in tradition.

Biden and about a dozen senators trekked from the Senate to the House chamber. Taking turns, the leaders of the Senate Rules Committee and the top members of the House Administration Committee read electoral vote results from each state. Biden announced the final results to applause from the scattering of House and Senate members. -- AP