Electoral College: Obama 365, McCain 173

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Barack Obama officially was certified Thursday as the next president of the United States.

The U.S. House and Senate tallied the Electoral College vote during a joint session, with President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden receiving 365 votes and the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin getting 173 votes, Foxnews.com reported.

A total of 270 electoral votes is needed to win.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland in a statement congratulated Obama on his victory and said he looked forward working with him on the challenges facing the nation."

"Having pledged to work across party lines to confront these challenges, President-elect Obama has already shown that he's an exceptional leader who will rise to the occasion and make the best of this moment in history," Hoyer said.

During her morning news conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the Electoral College tally "pretty exciting."