Mike Pence uses Nancy Pelosi's words to refuse invoking 25th Amendment: 'Science must decide POTUS's fitness'
Vice President Mike Pence used House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) own words against her in a letter on Tuesday, January 12. He explained why he won't invoke the 25th Amendment to remove POTUS Donald Trump from office. The letter follows reports that Democrats have introduced an article of impeachment against Trump over the riot and violence which broke out last week where the President's supporters breached the Capitol.
Democrats have been putting a lot of pressure on Pence to remove Trump from office by invoking the 25th Amendment. The 25th Amendment in the US Constitution states that if the President is unable to perform his duties, the Vice President acts as the President. It calls for this action only if the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office", The Sun states. It also adds, "The president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
In his letter to Pelosi, Pence wrote: "Every American was shocked and saddened by the attack on our Nation’s Capitol last week, and I am grateful for the leadership that you and other congressional leaders provided in reconvening Congress to complete the people’s business on the very same day. It was a moment that demonstrated to the American people the unity that is still possible in Congress when it is needed most. But now, 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.".
"As you know full well, the 25th Amendment was designed to address Presidential incapacity or disability," he added. Reiterating Pelosi, he continued, "Just a few months ago, when you introduced legislation to create a 25th Amendment Commission, you said, '[a] President’s fitness for office must be determined by science and facts.’ You said then that we must be '[v]ery respectful of not making a judgment on the basis of a comment or behavior that we don’t like, but based on a medical decision.’ Madam Speaker, you were right. Under our Constitution, the 25th Amendment is not a means of punishment or usurpation. Invoking the 25th Amendment in such a manner would set a terrible precedent," he said referring to Pelosi's comments.
We had earlier reported that Pelosi had said that she will demand that the Vice President invoke the 25th Amendment to strip the President of his authority. Pelosi described Trump as an "urgent threat to the nation" in a letter sent to colleagues last night. According to the report, if Pence doesn't give his support within 24 hours, there will be a full House vote on the resolution Tuesday.
She wrote to her fellow house Democrats, "In protecting our Constitution and our democracy, we will act with urgency, because this president represents an imminent threat to both. As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this president is intensified, and so is the immediate need for action."