Pence told Pelosi he won’t invoke 25th Amendment [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• In his letter on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he would not be invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office.
• Pence said that imploring such action would “set a terrible precedent.”
• The House is set to pass a resolution that would force Pence to enforce the 25th Amendment.

In a letter addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Mike Pence said that he was against President Donald Trump’s removal from office through the 25th Amendment. Pence is facing calls to invoke the 25th Amendment following Wednesday’s Capital chaos incited by Trump to his supporters.

Released by his office on Tuesday, Pence wrote that he has not “believed that such a course of action is in the best interest of our Nation or consistent with our Constitution.”

Pence told Pelosi that the outgoing administration is working on a smooth and orderly transition, hence he was appealing to her and House members to refrain from any efforts that would “further divide and inflame the passions of the moment.”

“Work with us to lower the temperature and unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden as the next President of the United States,” he said.

Pence also cited the pressure he got from Trump and fellow GOP colleagues to use his authority to block Biden’s Electoral College victory but opted not to do so.

“Last week, I did not yield to pressure to exert power beyond my constitutional authority to determine the outcome of the election, and I will not now yield to efforts in the House of Representatives to play political games at a time so serious in the life of our nation,” he said.

For Pence, calling in the 25th Amendment as a consequence of Trump’s action would “set a terrible precedent.”

Per the US constitution, implementation of the 25th Amendment needs approval from the vice president and the majority of the presidential cabinet members.

The House is currently preparing to take a vote on a resolution that would urge Pence to initiate the 25th Amendment.

Several GOP House legislators have expressed their support on a vote to impeach Trump for encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol which resulted in five deaths including one police officer.

Source: Reuters