House Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation to create a commission that could evaluate whether President Donald Trump should be removed from office under the 25th Amendment.
The proposal, led by House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., is unlikely to advance in the Republican-controlled Congress and would face a veto from Trump if it did. Still, it has drawn support from dozens of Democrats as some in the party escalate calls for drastic action against the president.
The effort follows a push from more than 85 House and Senate Democrats last week urging Trump's impeachment or removal under the 25th Amendment after he warned in a social media post that a "whole civilization will die tonight" in reference to Iran.
Raskin's 10-page bill would establish a 17-member commission under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, which allows either the vice president and Cabinet or "such other body as Congress may by law provide" to determine a president is unfit for office.
Under the legislation, the panel would "carry out a medical examination of the President to determine whether the President is mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office."
The measure has 50 Democratic co-sponsors. Members of the commission would be appointed by top congressional leaders from both parties and would include former high-ranking executive branch officials such as vice presidents, cabinet secretaries, attorneys general and surgeons general. Those appointees would then select a chair, who could be another former official or a physician.
Any findings by the panel would only take effect if approved by the vice president, meaning the process would still hinge on Vice President JD Vance, a close Trump ally.
"The Constitution explicitly vests Congress with the authority to create a body that will guarantee the successful continuity of government by responding to presidential incapacity to discharge the powers and duties of office," Raskin said in a statement. "We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet."
"Public trust in Donald Trump's ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations," he added.
The White House sharply criticized the proposal.
"Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person's idea of a smart person," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Axios. "President Trump's sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the past four years when Democrats like Raskin intentionally covered up Joe Biden's serious mental and physical decline from the American people."
Even if the bill were to pass, removal of the president would remain a long shot. Vance would need to sign off on any determination to temporarily remove Trump, and Congress would then have to approve permanent removal within 21 days by two-thirds majorities in both chambers.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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