The United States’ House of Representatives have voted to approve a resolution calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment in the wake of the violent siege of the US Capitol last week, despite vice-president Mike Pence clearly rejecting the idea on Tuesday night, January 12
Pence made clear that he has no plans to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the President in a letter saying such a move with just a week to Biden’s inauguration is not in the best interest of the country.
House Democrats are now moving to impeach Trump for a second time as a result of the insurrection, which Trump incited after repeatedly making false claims that the election had been stolen from him and calling for his supporters to fight back.
House Democrats plan to vote today, Wednesday, January 13 to impeach Trump, even though by the time the Senate handles the case Trump would have left office.
The 25th Amendment resolution, brought forward by Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, calls on Pence “to immediately use his powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments in the Cabinet to declare what is obvious to a horrified nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties of his office.”
It further calls on Pence to assume “the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”
Ahead of the vote, however, Pence’s office released a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“With just eight days left in the President’s term, you and the Democratic caucus are demanding that the Cabinet and I invoke the 25th Amendment. I do not believe that such a course of action is in the best interest of our nation or consistent with our Constitution,” Pence wrote.
Pelosi on Tuesday announced the names of the Democratic lawmakers who will serve as impeachment managers tasked with presenting a case to the Senate during an impeachment trial.
The managers will be: Reps. Raskin, who will be the lead manager, Diana DeGette of Colorado, David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Eric Swalwell of California, Joaquin Castro of Texas, Ted Lieu of California, Stacey Plaskett of the US Virgin Islands, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania.
Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, told colleagues on a conference call Monday evening that Wednesday’s impeachment vote is a “vote of conscience,”
Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Pence a day after the Capitol attack to discuss the 25th Amendment but Pence never took the call after they were on hold for 25 minutes.
“At least. Of course, I was — I was at home, so I was running the dishwasher, putting my clothes in the laundry. We’re still waiting for him to return the call,” she told CBS Sunday night.
Earlier on Monday this week, Democrats attempted to take up the 25th Amendment resolution by unanimous consent, but it was blocked by Republicans.
Pelosi accused House Republicans of “enabling the President’s unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue,” adding, “Their complicity endangers America, erodes our Democracy, and it must end.”
Trump will be replaced by Biden on the 20th of January.
