House Judiciary Committee Dems Call on Pence to Invoke 25th Amendment to Remove Trump from Office

By Staff, Agencies

As a joint session of the US Congress convened on Wednesday to certify the Electoral College vote and confirm President-elect Joe Biden's election win, supporters of President Donald Trump breached the Capitol in Washington.

Four people died in the violence, according to the DC Police Chief, and a curfew in effect in the District of Columbia.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats penned a letter urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.

"For the sake of our democracy, we emphatically urge you to invoke the 25th Amendment and begin the process of removing President Trump from office," read the letter, led by Reps. David Cicilline [D-R.I.] and Ted Lieu [D-Calif.].

As they underscored the importance of removing Trump from office after he ostensibly incited the riot that resulted in a mob violently breaching the US Capitol earlier on Wednesday, they added:

"President Trump has shown time and again that he is unwilling to protect our democracy and carry out the duties of the office."

The 25th Amendment would enable Pence to become acting president if he and a majority of the Cabinet declare the president as being unable to execute his duties.

The letter came as reports claimed Republican officials were mulling drastic steps ranging from impeachment to invoking the 25th Amendment, to allow Pence to take over from the sitting president, reported Axios.

Amid what Biden denounced as “disorder”, bordering on “sedition”, a growing number of Democrats are calling for the impeachment of Trump, underscoring his purported role in egging on his supporters to storm the Capitol on Wednesday.

They also cited that further ‘damage’ could yet be caused by the sitting president in the final two weeks of his term.

The lawmakers are led by Democratic House members, and also include Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, with a Republican, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, also urging that Trump be removed from office.

“Despite the seditious attempt to overthrow our democracy, we in Congress will fulfil our duty to ensure the will of the people and the integrity of our democracy are upheld. But the next days and weeks remain dangerous. Donald Trump is a traitor to our country and our Constitution. He must be removed from office and prevented from further endangering our country and our people,” said Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark [D-Mass.] in a statement.

With Biden’s swearing in ceremony set to take place on 20 January, it is unlikely that an impeachment process might be taken up by the Senate in the time left, writes POLITICO.

According to Rep. Tom Malinowski [D-N.J.], cited by the outlet, impeaching the president for a second time is an “incredibly serious matter.”