Congress

Eugene

(62,685 posts) Fri Oct 9, 2020, 01:56 AM Oct 2020

Citing 25th Amendment, Pelosi, Raskin move to create panel that could rule on president's fitness fo

Source: Washington Post

Citing 25th Amendment, Pelosi, Raskin move to create panel that could rule on president’s fitness for office

By Felicia Sonmez
10/8/2020, 5:17:16 p.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) plan to introduce legislation Friday that would create a commission to “help ensure effective and uninterrupted leadership” in the presidency.

The panel would be called the Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office, “the body and process called for in the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” the offices of Pelosi and Raskin said in a statement announcing the move.

The 25th Amendment formalizes that the vice president takes over the duties of the presidency in the event of a president’s death, inability to perform his duties or resignation from office. It also lays out a process by which a sitting president may be removed from office. Congress’s role in this, however, is limited.

President Trump’s four-day hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after contracting the novel coronavirus forced the administration to answer questions about the 25th Amendment and succession.

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11 replies

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Citing 25th Amendment, Pelosi, Raskin move to create panel that could rule on president's fitness fo (Original Post) Eugene Oct 2020 OP

K&R! SheltieLover Oct 2020 #1

Do you think that speaknow Oct 2020 #2

There is no way his butt licking cabinet will ever say he is unfit. vlyons Oct 2020 #3

Madame Speaker's actions, though most likely will not pass, onetexan Oct 2020 #4

+1 jorgevlorgan Oct 2020 #5

If pence goes on ventilator and THEN trump crashes and dies, a crisis? lostnfound Oct 2020 #6

The line of succession is clear - it goes to the Speaker of the House. They can balk onetexan Oct 2020 #7

Not as clear as you think Coleman Oct 2020 #8

The order matters. If pence is unconscious first...nothing happens lostnfound Oct 2020 #10

The 25th does not remove a president Coleman Oct 2020 #9

Yes and Lulu KC Oct 2020 #11

SheltieLover

(59,716 posts)

1. K&R!

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 02:00 AM

Oct 2020

speaknow

(321 posts)

2. Do you think that

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 02:03 AM

Oct 2020

every time he sticks up for Putin
he gets so much taken off his bill.

vlyons

(10,252 posts)

3. There is no way his butt licking cabinet will ever say he is unfit.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 02:36 AM

Oct 2020

Unless and until he's in the hospital on a ventilator. Maybe Pelosi is using her commission on presidential fitness to further tar his election chances. But aren't his chances already pretty dire?

onetexan

(13,900 posts)

4. Madame Speaker's actions, though most likely will not pass,

Reply to vlyons (Reply #3)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 03:20 AM

Oct 2020

Is meant to emphasize the Con's unfitness & puts blame onthe GOP for doing nothing about it. It raises the gravity of the unfolding situation and hopefully further lessen his chances of reelection.

jorgevlorgan

(10,784 posts)

5. +1

Reply to onetexan (Reply #4)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 03:31 AM

Oct 2020

lostnfound

(16,671 posts)

6. If pence goes on ventilator and THEN trump crashes and dies, a crisis?

Reply to onetexan (Reply #4)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 05:36 AM

Oct 2020

If pence goes on ventilator and THEN trump crashes and dies, Or vice versa, a crisis? This cabinet is so corrupt and you have power hungry people like Kushner and mitch, they’d try to keep the reins no matter what. Which would create a crisis.

onetexan

(13,900 posts)

7. The line of succession is clear - it goes to the Speaker of the House. They can balk

Reply to lostnfound (Reply #6)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 06:32 AM

Oct 2020

they can balk all they want. Nancy w be POTUS in the unlikely scenario both POTUS &VEEP are incapacitated.

Coleman

(945 posts)

8. Not as clear as you think

Reply to onetexan (Reply #7)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 08:02 AM

Oct 2020

The Republicans are looking at a visit to the Supreme Court should both Trump and Pence are incapacitated, to fight the presidential succession. Their argument is that the Constitution says "Officers" may succeed to the presidency, and Pompeo argues only members of the executive branch are officers, not members of Congress.

lostnfound

(16,671 posts)

10. The order matters. If pence is unconscious first...nothing happens

Reply to onetexan (Reply #7)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 11:50 AM

Oct 2020

There is no vacancy for VP unless he resigned or dies. But if the president subsequently becomes unconscious, what happens? Section 4 requires action by the Vice President. If he is unconscious, you can’t use Section 4.

Upon death of President, the VP takes over. If the VP is already unconscious, then what happens? It is already questionable whether Trump has the presence of mind to pick a replacement in any reasonable period of time that could pass confirmation by both House and Senate.

Coleman

(945 posts)

9. The 25th does not remove a president

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri Oct 9, 2020, 08:05 AM

Oct 2020

It provides for temporary transfer of powers to an acting President while the President is unable to perform the duties.

Lulu KC

(4,462 posts)

11. Yes and

Reply to Coleman (Reply #9)

Sat Oct 10, 2020, 07:08 PM

Oct 2020

I really think it's being misconstrued. Based on what I watched them propose, there is no way it can even happen while DT is still very much in power. Assembling the commission itself will probably take several weeks--until post-election. It sounds to me like a step that should have happened years ago and was left behind.

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