Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Vice President Pence on Wednesday evening imploring him to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) shared the letter on Twitter writing, “I am sending a letter with
@RepTedLieu and our colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee, calling on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office after today’s events.”
In addition to Cicilline, the letter was signed by Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Steve Cohen (Tenn.), Madeleine Dean (Pa.), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Sylvia Garcia (Texas), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Hank Johnson (Ga.), Mondaire Jones (N.Y.), Ted Lieu (Calif.), Lucy McBath (Ga.), Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), Joe Neguse (Colo.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), Mary Gay Scanlon (Pa.), Greg Stanton (Ariz.) and Eric Swalwell (Calif.).
The push to end Trump’s term before Jan. 20 comes just hours after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol as Congress was ratifying the Electoral College votes showing President-elect Joe Biden was victorious.
“It is with great sadness that we write to you following the incidents that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol today. As you presided over the U.S. Senate, angry supporters of President Trump attempted an insurrection, illegally storming and breaching the U.S. Capitol building to stop the certification of President-elect Biden’s victory,” the lawmakers wrote.
They went on to cite the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which provides an avenue through which the vice president and Cabinet can remove a sitting president who is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
“Even in his video announcement this afternoon, President Trump revealed that he is not mentally sound and is still unable to process and accept the results of the 2020 election,” the lawmakers wrote to Pence.
“For the sake of our democracy, we emphatically urge you to invoke the 25th Amendment and begin the process of removing President Trump from power. President has shown time and again that he is unwilling to protect our Democracy and carry out the duties of the office.”