The 25th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States? It was passed by Congress in 1965 and ratified in 1967. But a lot of people are asking about it after the riots in Washington DC Wednesday.
Democratic lawmakers and at least one major business group are now calling for President Donald Trump’s cabinet to use the amendment to oust him.
National Association of Manufacturers CEO Jay Timmons said in a statement Wednesday that Vice President Mike Pence should consider working to invoke the 25th Amendment “to preserve democracy.”
The 25th Amendment says the vice president and a majority of principal officers of executive departments “or of such other body as Congress” may provide a declaration to Congress that the president “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” At that point, the vice president would assume the powers of acting president.
The amendment was proposed after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It outlines the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation.
The amendment was applied during the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. It helped with the process of replacing Spiro Agnew as vice president. It also went into play when Richard Nixon resigned.