House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democratic leaders on Monday would request unanimous consent in the House urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution “to declare the President incapable of executing the duties of his office,” Bloomberg reports.
What Happened: Pelosi, in a letter to House Democrats in the aftermath of outgoing President Donald Trump’s supporters violently storming the Capitol Hill, said, “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.”
If any Republicans or Democrats object, the resolution will go to the floor for a roll call vote on Tuesday, following which Pence will be given 24 hours to invoke the 25th Amendment. Bloomberg reports that Pence has dismissed the idea of using the 25th Amendment.
If Pence denies, House will move with the impeachment legislation vote on Wednesday, making it likely that Trump would be the first president to be impeached twice.
Though many Republicans have criticized Trump for his role in the Capitol Hill riots, no one has said they would convict him of wrongdoing in the Senate, saying impeachment was not the best way forward to hold Trump accountable, the Financial Times reports.
Why It Matters: As per NBC News reporter Hallie Jackson, Trump didn't reach out to Mike Pence on Wednesday night — nor has he called Pence since.
Though the House could vote by Wednesday, it could delay sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate to allow the chamber to prioritize President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees and other legislative matters.
Trump has been banned from using social media by major tech companies. Parler, the conservative alternative to Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB), continues to see itself cut off from major tech services like Apple Inc AAPL and Amazon.com Inc. AMZN.
A second impeachment vote will prevent Trump from holding office again but winning a Senate vote would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate, FT notes.
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