House Republicans float 25th Amendment to remove Biden after debate performance

Ken Tran, USA TODAY

June 28, 2024 at 2:44 p.m.·3 min read

WASHINGTON – House Republicans are floating calling on President Joe Biden's Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and declare the Democratic incumbent unable to serve after his shaky debate performance, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to assume the presidency.

“There’s a lot of people asking about invoking the 25th Amendment right now,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Friday morning. “This is an alarming situation.”

Republicans have relentlessly made the 81-year-old Biden’s age a focal point in the election, claiming he is not mentally fit to lead the country from its highest office. His performance on the debate stage, which was marked by his hoarse voice, repeated stumbles and gaffes, reinforced that message to millions of Americans who tuned in Thursday night for the first face-to-face showdown since 2020 between Biden and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

“Our adversaries see the weakness in this White House as we all do. I take no pleasure in saying that. I think this is a very dangerous situation, “ Johnson said. “But unfortunately, it’s not the House that gets to determine that. It’s the Cabinet that makes that decision. I would ask the Cabinet members to search their hearts.”

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, introduced a non-binding resolution on Friday that calls for Harris to convene the Cabinet and declare Biden “unable to discharge the duties and powers of the office” and report to Congress “she will be immediately assuming the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”

“I don’t believe that the president that we saw last night is capable of exercising the duties as commander-in-chief. I think most people, if they’re being honest, would agree,” Roy said.

Section four of the 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of Cabinet members to submit a written declaration to Congress that the president is unfit to serve. The vice president would then assume the powers of the presidency.

But if the president submits his own declaration they are able to serve, then Congress would deliberate and vote on the matter. The 25th Amendment has never been invoked but was floated during the Trump administration in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Roy did not say if he would notice the resolution as “privileged” which would force the House to vote on it within two legislative days. He said he would have to “talk to the parliamentarian” of the lower chamber to determine the correct procedure.

For their part, Democrats have been in their own state of shock over Biden's debate performance. Lawmakers were swarmed by reporters on Friday morning and forced to answer for the president's lackluster showing. Many stood by the president, but admitted he had a poor showing against Trump.

Biden on Friday afternoon remained defiant against calls for him to step down as the presumptive Democratic nominee, proclaiming, “I know how to do this job,” at a campaign rally in North Carolina.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP floats 25th Amendment to remove Biden after debate performance

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