Read a House Democrat's new bill asking for Trump to be removed via the 25th Amendment

A House Democrat will introduce legislation on Friday asking Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to consider removing President Trump from office under the 25th Amendment.

“Trump has exhibited an alarming pattern of behavior and speech causing concern that a mental disorder may have rendered him unfit and unable to fulfill his Constitutional duties,” says the resolution written by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a copy of which was provided to Vox.

As Vox’s Andrew Prokop has explained, Section 4 of the 25th Amendment gives the vice president and eight Cabinet members the authority to unilaterally force the president from office if they deem him “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” The amendment arose out of concerns about what should happen if a president is unfit for the job, which even some Senate Republicans are beginning to suggest.

What matters less here is the fate of the legislation — it will be dead on arrival in a Republican Congress — but who is behind it. Lofgren isn’t regarded as a particularly left-wing Democrat, and her embrace of the proposal suggests calls to undemocratically remove Trump are moving into the Democratic Party’s mainstream as his crises multiply. As recently as May, the vast majority of Democratic officials were rejecting left-wing activists’ calls for impeachment as absurdly premature.

Here’s the text of the resolution in full:

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. __________

Urging the Vice President and the Cabinet to fulfill their duties pursuant to Section 4 of the 25^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. Lofgren (for herself) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on __________________.

RESOLUTION

Urging the Vice President and the Cabinet to fulfill their duties pursuant to Section 4 of the 25^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Whereas, Section 4 of the 25th Amendment states that "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President"; and

Whereas, President Donald J. Trump has exhibited an alarming pattern of behavior and speech causing concern that a mental disorder may have rendered him unfit and unable to fulfill his Constitutional duties: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) urges the Vice President and the Cabinet to quickly secure the services of medical and psychiatric professionals to examine the President to assist in their deliberations under the 25th Amendment to determine whether the President suffers from mental disorder or other injury that impairs his abilities and prevents him from discharging his Constitutional duties; and

(2) strongly encourages the Vice President and the Cabinet to take immediate action pursuant to the 25th Amendment and report to Congress as outlined in that Amendment.

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