Pelosi, Schumer call to congratulate Biden

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke with President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday, shortly after the White House race was called.

The two congressional leaders called Biden at 12:45 p.m. “to congratulate him on a tremendous victory,” a senior Democratic aide said, describing it as a “happy call.”

“Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi look forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration to achieve great things for the American people,” the aide added.

A second senior Democratic aide confirmed the call.

The call is Biden’s first known contact with congressional leadership since The Associated Press and other outlets called the White House race for him on Saturday. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hasn’t yet weighed in on Biden’s victory.

Schumer was in the New York City borough of Brooklyn during the call, which he was spotted announcing to the crowd.

“I was just on the phone with Joe in the car,” Schumer said. “He could hear your screams down the street.”

President Trump hasn’t yet conceded the race and pledged a legal fight on Saturday.

What the makeup Congress will be when Biden takes office is unclear. Though the House will be controlled by Democrats, the Senate majority is up for grabs, with two races in Georgia going to early January runoffs.

Schumer, in a statement on Biden’s win, urged supporters to help flip the two Georgia seats. That would give Democrats the majority because Vice President-elect Kamala Harris could break a 50-50 tie. 

Senator Chuck Schumer just made an impromptu visit to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where crowds are celebrating President Elect Joe Biden.

“I was just on the phone with Joe in the car,” Chuck said. “He could hear your screams down the street.” pic.twitter.com/vK2tWgb7P9

— Dave Quinn (@NineDaves) November 7, 2020

“Senate Democrats are going to do everything we can to help him get things done to help the American people — most immediately by gaining a majority in the Senate,” Schumer said in the statement.

“A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate would be the biggest difference maker to help President-elect Biden deliver for working families. … The best way to ensure that positive agenda can be carried out and deliver help to working families in Georgia and across the country is to elect Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the Senate,” he added.