US Vice President, Mike Pence, has stated that he will not invoke the 25th Amendment needed to impeach President Donald Trump.
The 25th Amendment in the United States Constitution deals with issues related to presidential succession and disability. It refers to the process that would declare Trump unable to fulfil his duties and install Pence as acting president for the remainder of the term, which is 7 days until Joe Biden is inaugurated as the next president of the United States.
Mike Pence disclosed this in a letter to House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi on Monday, urging that it was time for USA to heal from the Capitol attacks last week.
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He said;
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 added that members of the Congress should “avoid actions that would further divide and inflame the passions of the moment”.
This comes as several House Republicans also joined the growing call to impeach Trump. Democrats mobilised rapidly to begin the process to have Trump removed after he encouraged his supporters last Wednesday to “march” to the US Capitol and “fight.”
In a violent insurrection, the rioters stormed past outnumbered police, ransacked the building, and interrupted Congress as it was certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
Pence, who was presiding over the vote, as well as Pelosi and other lawmakers, were forced to take shelter. Five people died during the unrest including a US Capitol Police officer.
The Vice-President told Pelosi that her call for invoking the 25th Amendment was misplaced, saying it was designed to “address presidential incapacity or disability,” not as a “means of punishment or usurpation”.
He also pointed out that despite intense pressure from within his party to invalidate the electoral votes from swing states won by Biden, he fulfilled his consitutional duty to certify the results.
Pence wrote;
I will not now yield to efforts in the House of Representatives to play political games at a time so serious in the life of our nation.
The vice president’s letter came just hours before the House of Representatives was to vote on a resolution that calls on Pence to initiate the 25th Amendment process and “declare what is obvious to a horrified nation: that the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office”.
Pelosi and other Democrats have said they would move on with the non-binding 25th Amendment resolution, and set up a vote on Wednesday (today) to impeach Trump.
