Biden calls for 'unity,' asks Senate to continue impeachment proceedings

President-elect Joe Biden released a statement Wednesday night in response to the House of Representative voting to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time.

Biden leveled the blame for the Capitol riot squarely on President Donald Trump. "Last week, we saw an unprecedented assault on our democracy," Biden said.

"It was carried out by political extremists and domestic terrorists, who were incited to this violence by President Trump. It was an armed insurrection against the United States of America. And those responsible must be held accountable."

Biden called on the Senate to continue the impeachment proceedings but not neglect their responsibilities pertaining to confirming his nominees or be distracted from his agenda items.

"I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation."

"From confirmations to key posts such as Secretaries for Homeland Security, State, Defense, Treasury, and Director of National Intelligence, to getting our vaccine program on track, and to getting our economy going again. Too many of our fellow Americans have suffered for too long over the past year to delay this urgent work," it read.

Biden returned to his call for unity. "I have often said that there is nothing we can’t do, if we do it together. And it has never been more critical for us to stand together as a nation than right now."

President Trump released a video earlier on Wednesday in response to the impeachment vote in the House, and the Capitol Hill riot from Jan. 6, saying that the Make America Great Again movement, has no place for violence.