WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday unveiled a bill that would allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Constitutional Amendment to remove the president, insisting that ‘it’s not about President Donald Trump but that he’s inspired by the need for more congressional oversight of his White House
Pelosi raises questions about Trump’s mental health since his COVID-19 diagnosis, demands more transparency about his health The bill would create a commission to assess the president’s ability to run the country and ensure the continuity of the government It comes a year after Pelosi’s house launched impeachment proceedings against Trump
« This is not about President Donald Trump – he will face the judgment of the voters, » Pelosi said at a press conference on Capitol Hill
Weeks before the November 3 election, with no hope of the bill becoming law, the deployment was quickly dismissed as a coup by the Trump team and its key allies
Opponents of the president have been discussing invoking the 25th Amendment for some time, but are raising it now, so close to election day, as campaigns quickly turn into a referendum on Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic
Pelosi said Trump needed to disclose more about his health after his diagnosis of COVID-19 and when, exactly, he contracted COVID for the first time as others in the White House were infected. 210,000 Americans have died and millions more have tested positive for the virus, showing no signs of slowing down as what public health experts are warning of as a harsh flu season and winter approaches.
Legislation that would create a commission as described in the 25th Amendment, which was passed by Congress and ratified in 1967 as a way to ensure continuity of power in the wake of President John F The Kennedy assassination
It indicates that the vice president and a majority of the top leaders of executive departments « or any other body like Congress » can, by law, declare to Congress that the president « is incapable of discharging powers. and the duties of his office ”At this stage, the vice-president would immediately take the powers of interim president
« Let Congress exercise the power the Constitution has given us, » Pelosi said Friday in front of a poster of the amendment
Pelosi was joined by a representative Jamie Raskin, D-Md, a constitutional scholar, who has proposed similar bills in the past
But, as Congress has shown by impeaching – and acquitting the president over the past year – the legislature is determined to exert itself at times to control the executive.
Trump says he « feels good » after being hospitalized and is back to work in the White House But his doctors have given mixed signals about his diagnosis and his treatment Trump plans to resume his treatment soon. campaign
Congress is not in legislative session, so any serious consideration of the measure, let alone votes in the House or Senate, is unlikely.But the bill serves as a political tool to raise questions on Trump’s health as his own White House is hit by an epidemic infecting key aides, staff and visitors, including senators
In a staggering admission, McConnell said on Thursday that he stopped coming to the White House two months ago because he disagreed with his coronavirus protocols His last visit was in August 6
« My feeling was that their approach to how to deal with this was different from mine and what I insisted we do in the Senate is wear a mask and practice social distancing « McConnell said during a campaign stoppage in northern Kentucky for his own re-election
Associated Press editors Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky, and Aamer Madhani, Laurie Kellman and Padmananda Rama in Washington contributed to this report
This story has been corrected to correct the spelling of Rama’s first name in the Padmananda contributors line
Pelosi 25th Amendment
Global News – United States – Pelosi Unveils 25th Amendment Proposal, Questions Trump’s Suitability
