Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Sunday called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.
The announcement comes as a growing number of Congressmembers have called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office.
Below is the text of a letter Pelosi sent to her Democrat collogues:
Dear Democratic Colleague,
On this Sunday, as we pray that God will continue to Bless America, I write to inform you of our next actions, which will be made with the great solemnity that this moment requires.
I want to call to your immediate attention the action to be taken tomorrow morning, when Majority Leader Hoyer will request Unanimous Consent to bring up the Raskin resolution. This resolution calls on the Vice President to convene and mobilize the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment to declare the President incapable of executing the duties of his office, after which the Vice President would immediately exercise powers as acting President.
If we do not receive Unanimous Consent, this legislation is planned to be brought up on the Floor the following day. We are calling on the Vice President to respond within 24 hours.
Next, we will proceed with bringing impeachment legislation to the Floor.
In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both. As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.
I look forward to our Caucus call tomorrow. I am grateful to all Members for the suggestions, observations and input that you have been sending. Your views on the 25th Amendment, 14th Amendment Section 3 and impeachment are valued as we continue. I am answering your communications in chronological order and will do so into the night.
Thank you for your patriotism.
Somebody tell Nancy Pelosi that the 25th Amendment doesn’t work that way.
https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xxv
Section 4
VP and Cabinet send in writing to the president pro tem of Senate and the Speaker of the House that the POTUS is unable to perform the duties of his office.
VP immediately acts as POTUS.
POTUS writes back and tells them he is able, and resumes his duties
UNLESS:
VP and Cabinet write back and tell him he isn’t; they have 4 days to do this.
If Congress isn’t in session, Congress has 48 hours to gather and decide, and send word back to the president pro tem of Senate and the Speaker of the House.
Congress has 21 days to tell the president pro tem of Senate and the Speaker of the House their decision, and it takes 2/3rds vote of BOTH houses to affirm that POTUS isn’t able to perform his duties.
The VP continues to act as POTUS.
Otherwise, the POTUS resumes his duties.