Dems’ 25th Amendment Push Thwarted

House Republicans successfully blocked a quick consideration of a resolution calling for the Vice President to invoke the 25th Amendment. Representative Alex Mooney of West Virginia stood up to block the consideration. Specifically, the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution states that if the current President is unable to do his job, the Vice President succeeds him or becomes Acting President to declare a sitting president “unable” to perform the job. Meanwhile, Maryland representative Jamie Hoyer filed the resolution regarding the amendment Monday.

RELATED: Trump Concedes Election, Condemns Violence at Capitol

Democrats Urge Pence to Invoke 25th Amendment

In a statement Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) said that “The President represents an imminent threat to our Constitution, our Country, and the American people, and he must be removed from office immediately.” By rejecting the consideration of the bill, Pelosi said that Republicans are “enabling the President’s unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue.” In addition, she added that  “Their complicity endangers America, erodes our Democracy, and it must end.” Also, Pelosi said that the House would take up the legislation, requesting that Pence respond “within 24 hours after passage.”

With Mooney’s objection, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md) said the House will vote for it. House members should return to Washington by Tuesday to vote on the resolution. He said a vote will start at 730 pm Tuesday. Calls for Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment emanated from Democrats in both House and the Senate. So far, Pence managed to avoid any commitment on whether to accept or not. Meanwhile, a senior administration official said Pence isn't involving himself in any amendment talks.

Democrats Will Impeach if Pence Won’t Invoke

In the wake of the Capitol riot last week, Democrats pushed hard for Trump’s removal from office, calling on Pence to invoke Amendment 25, which they called “quickest and most effective way” to remove Trump from office. Schumer warned that if Pence refuses or does not act on the resolution, Congress will reconvene to impeach the president.  In order to impeach Trump, the House must vote for a 218-vote majority. Democrats hold 222 seats and can muster up the number. However, the actual number of votes can go lower due to vacancies and absences.

In fact, Democratic Representatives Ted Lieu (Ca), David Cicilline (RI), and Jamie Raskin already drafted an article of impeachment, “Incitement to Insurrection,” which they also introduced Monday. The article read: “In his conduct, while President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States, and to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, Donald John Trump engaged in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by inciting violence against the Government of the United States.”

Double Trouble

The double threat of Amendment 25 and the impeachment come at an ironic time. Trump is eight days away from stepping down as President of the United States. However, Pelosi insists that even then, “the President’s threat to America is urgent.”

Trump is already on his way out. Impeaching him only ensures that he can never hold public office again. Democrats insist that making Trump accountable is the right thing to do. Leaving no one accountable for the riot means it can happen again. The protest on January 6 resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer. 

View the Washington Post news video where House Republicans block the resolution on 25th Amendment to force a vote:

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