Congress declares Obama next president

WASHINGTON - Congress has officially declared Barack Obama the next President of the United States after tallying electoral college votes in a centuries old tradition.

The House and Senate met in joint session to hear their colleagues read off the electoral votes from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The outcome, never in doubt, was 365 votes for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and 173 votes for John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Both Democrats and Republicans gave a standing ovation as Vice President Dick Cheney, in his role as president of the Senate, announced the vote count for Obama.