Chairman of the US House of Representatives’ Rules Committee Jim McGovern has expressed hope that the article of impeachment against President Donald Trump will be brought to the floor on Wednesday, he told CNN in an interview on Monday.
“This will be a week of action, and today we will seek a unanimous consent request to bring up a resolution authored by Congressman Jamie Raskin to demand that the vice president invoke the 25th Amendment. I expect the Republicans will object, so tomorrow the Rules Committee, which I chair, will provide a rule to bring that legislation to the floor. We will vote on it. And then, 24 hours later, we will go back to the Rules Committee and bring another resolution to deal with the issue of impeachment”, he said.
McGovern also called Trump "unconscionable" and called for him to be held to account, accusing him of inciting violence against the government in the wake of the Capitol Incident.
How Does the 25th Amendment Work?
According to Section 4 of the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, if a vice president and a majority of Cabinet secretaries come to the conclusion that an incumbent president is no longer able to carry out the powers and duties of their office, they have the right to sign a special document and send it to the Congress. During this time, the vice president assumes the role of acting president.
However, a president can challenge this decision and write a letter to the Congress, declaring himself fit to carry out his powers and duties. In that case, it would be up to the members of Congress to decide whether the president or vice president should remain in control of the office. According to the US Constitution, the Senate must vote by a two-thirds majority to impeach a president and be supported by a simple majority in the House of Representatives.
