The vice president's office declined to comment to NBC News. On Tuesday, McConnell urged his fellow Republicans not to attempt to block the declaration of Biden's victory. Other senior Republicans have slowly begun to acknowledge the election results, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The Electoral College formally voted on Monday. Biden won 306 electoral votes, 36 more than the 270 needed for victory. The job is a politically uncomfortable one for Pence, given that Trump has bucked precedent by refusing to concede defeat. Under federal law, the president of the Senate - a role held by the vice president - is charged with presenting the electoral votes and announcing the winner. The trip kicks off on the same day that Congress will meet for a joint session to formally count the electoral votes for president and vice president. It will also allow Pence, rumored to be harboring his own presidential ambitions, to get out of Washington after performing the awkward job of announcing his and Trump's defeat to Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. He is expected to use his last trip as vice president to tout the administration's foreign policy achievements, including the normalization of relations between Israel and a number of Gulf states including Bahrain. The travel schedule, which an administration official said is subject to change, has dual benefits for Pence.
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