A leading House Republican filed a resolution in Congress urging Vice President Kamala Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment in the wake of President Joe Biden’s performance Thursday night in the first debate with former President Donald Trump. Even Democrats and Biden supporters described the president’s performance as poor, though few have suggested a need to invoke the 25th Amendment.
“I intend to put forth a resolution calling upon the [vice president] to immediately use her powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene & mobilize the principal officers of the Cabinet to declare the [president of the United States] is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on X on Friday morning.
I intend to put forth a resolution calling upon the @VP to immediately use her powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene & mobilize the principal officers of the Cabinet to declare the @POTUS is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office.
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 28, 2024
The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, sets up a process by which the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can notify the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, enabling the vice president to become acting president. Under the amendment, the president can submit a written declaration that no inability exists, at which time he would resume his office.
Throughout the debate, Biden spoke with a raspy voice and made numerous verbal stumbles, including instances of rambling.
🤔What is going on here? Real video of Joe Biden in the middle of a presidential debate
“The ability of Medicare… to… ugh.. for the ability… for us to be able to negotiate drug prices with Big Pharma companies.” pic.twitter.com/XExK7ywKbu— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 28, 2024
The resolution directly calls upon Harris to take office as acting president.
“Whereas President Joseph R. Biden has repeatedly and publicly demonstrated his inability to discharge the powers and duties of the presidency, including, among others, the powers and duties of the commander-in-chief: Now, therefore, be it resolved that the House of Representatives calls upon Vice President Kamala D. Harris to immediately use her powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments in the Cabinet to declare that President Joseph R. Biden is unable to discharge the duties and powers of the office; and to transmit to the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives that she will be immediately assuming the powers and duties of the office as acting president.”
If Harris and the Cabinet invoked the 25th Amendment and Biden did not stop them, Harris would become acting president.
🚨Great debate moment🚨
Biden: “We finally beat Medicare.”
Trump: “He’s right, he did beat Medicare. He beat it to death.” pic.twitter.com/oCFGijp6nz— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 28, 2024
But Harris dismissed concerns about Biden’s performance in the debate.
“A lot of people who are fans and supporters of President Biden or who are Democrats or who are just worried about the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the presidency feel like this was not a strong performance tonight from President Biden,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow told Harris. “I want to hear your assessment and how you respond to those critics.”
“Well, it was a slow start, there’s no question about that, but I thought it was a strong finish,” the vice president responded. “What we know is that when you look at the two sides of the ledger, what we had in Joe Biden is someone who wanted to have a debate based on facts, based on truth, and in Donald Trump we have what we have come to expect, which is someone who will push lies and distract from the reality of the damage he has created and continues to create in our country.”
Harris said that Biden has done “historic work” and did not mention the 25th Amendment.
🚨BREAKING: Kamala Harris dismisses concerns about Joe Biden’s debate performance, and doesn’t mention the 25th Amendment. pic.twitter.com/85DREWoZqJ
— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 28, 2024
Yet former Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said Biden failed to demonstrate that he was up to the job.
“Joe Biden had one thing he had to do tonight, and he didn’t do it,” McCaskill said. “He had one thing he had to accomplish, and that was reassure America that he was up to the job at his age, and he failed at that tonight.”
😲Former Sen. @clairecmc: Joe Biden had one thing he had to do tonight, and he didn’t do it. He had one thing he had to accomplish and that was reassure America that he was up to the job at his age, and he failed at that.‼️ pic.twitter.com/CLcoRiJba1
— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 28, 2024
Two Republican senators also suggested Biden’s performance suggested an inability to carry out his duties.
“We’ve definitely entered 25th Amendment territory,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X.
“If you think Democrats in Washington and across the country aren’t talking about the 25th Amendment right now, you’re crazy,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., wrote. “It’s not a question of whether he should be on the ballot. That ship has sailed. It’s a question of whether he can serve as president right now.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Biden’s debate performance will strengthen her calls for Attorney General Merrick Garland to release the tapes of Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
“Every member of Congress has a constitutional duty to ensure we have a coherent President,” she wrote on X. “We MUST hear the Hur tapes. A lawsuit can take years. I will be calling up the vote to hold Garland in inherent contempt this morning. This is a national security issue.”
Every member of Congress has a constitutional duty to ensure we have a coherent President. We MUST hear the Hur tapes. A lawsuit can take years. I will be calling up the vote to hold Garland in inherent contempt this morning. This is a national security issue.
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) June 28, 2024
The dems are just trying to plug the leak temporarily so they can groom who they want to run. Chip Roy may have fallen into their trap.
It’s a gamble, because Harris has no idea what to do and China, N. Korea, Iran, Russia may very well see it as their opportunity to start WWIII.
This is what should have been done on January 20, 2021. They kept the derelict in the basement throughout the entire election campaign, knowing the election was going to be RIGGED AND STOLEN. He’s been mumbling and bumbling for 3.5 years now – and the DNC CONTINUES to prop him up as an obvious puppet. The man can’t figure out if he has to wipe himself after he shits – and THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH?!
Every single person in this current ILLEGITMATE (shadow government) of an ‘Administration’ deserves nothing less than a bullet in the head (for treason). Let me be the one to start – PLEASE!
If they are going to remove anyone let them start in congress. Almost 2 years and not one promise kept ! VOTE OUT ALL THE SCUM !