Calling on Vice President Pence to Convene and Mobilize the Cabinet to Activate Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to Declare President Donald J. Trump Incapable of Executing the Duties of His Office

Floor Speech

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Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't address the atrocities occurring right here on the House floor today. A week ago, this building was attacked; and instead of working with Republicans to attempt to prevent that from ever happening again, the Speaker and her Democratic colleagues think an appropriate response is to prevent Members from exercising their Second Amendment constitutional rights in the very place that wasn't secure a week ago.

This attack didn't come from the inside. It came from the outside. And to respond by restricting Members' Second Amendment rights in the very institution that is supposed to uphold those rights is appalling.

Take note, America. This is what you have to look forward to in a Joe Biden administration. If they can do it right here in the people's House, they will attempt to do it across the country.

The plain language of the 25th Amendment is abundantly clear. Although I am an attorney, you don't have to be an attorney to understand that the Vice President is the principal required to invoke the amendment. The beginning of Section 4 states: ``Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide . . . declare that the President is unable to discharge. . . . ''

You must have the Vice President invoking this, and you don't. The Vice President has been clear, he is unwilling to invoke the 25th Amendment. It is not Congress' role to override him. It doesn't state in the amendment that Congress makes that determination. The Vice President does.

But my Democratic colleagues will stop at nothing to remove this President, even a week before his term expires. The plain reading of the 25th Amendment demonstrates that this is the wrong approach. An understanding of last week's events demonstrates this is the wrong approach. And a consideration of the political tactics that we have seen in recent days, months, and years tells you that this is a disingenuous approach at best and 100 percent politically motivated.

I was elected in 2018. My entire congressional career has been consumed by impeaching or removing President Trump. After the Russia collusion hoax and a phone call to the Ukrainian President, and then a failed impeachment attempt that resulted in an acquittal, here we are, a little more than a week away from a new President being sworn in, attempting this travesty both to the Constitution and to America as a whole.

This is dangerous, unconstitutional, and does nothing to heal this country and move this country forward.

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