U.S. Vice President Al Gore laughs while Congressman William Thomas (R-Ca) jokingly holds a vote result up to the light during the presentation of the results of the counting of the electoral votes of the November, 2000 presidential election which declared [Texas Governor George W. Bush the next president of the United States, in the House of Representatives January 6, 2001.] To the right of Gore is the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill).