[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 178 (Monday, October 19, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6295-S6296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 747--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE CONDEMNING 
  THE POLITICIZATION OF THE 25TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE 
      UNITED STATES BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  Mrs. LOEFFLER (for herself, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Cramer) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 747

       Whereas the 25th Amendment to the Constitution of the 
     United States (referred to in this preamble as the ``25th 
     Amendment'') states, in section 4, ``Whenever the Vice 
     President and a majority of either the principal officers of 
     the executive departments or of such other body as Congress 
     may by law provide, transmit to the President pro

[[Page S6296]]

     tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives their written declaration that the President 
     is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, 
     the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and 
     duties of the office as Acting President.'';
       Whereas the 25th Amendment was drafted in the wake of the 
     death of President John F. Kennedy and was intended to 
     provide for a clear path of succession in the event of the 
     President's death or inability to discharge the powers and 
     duties of his office, and not as a political tool to remove a 
     duly elected President in the absence of just cause;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives intends 
     to introduce legislation creating a Commission on 
     Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of 
     the Office for the purposes of removing President Donald J. 
     Trump from office under section 4 of the 25th Amendment;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives has 
     failed to put forward a just cause for invoking the 25th 
     Amendment;
       Whereas the proposed actions by the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives are an unprecedented attempt to remove a duly 
     elected President;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House Representatives and the 
     Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives have 
     undertaken a multi-year campaign to delegitimize the duly 
     elected President of the United States and overturn the 
     results of the 2016 Presidential election, and in the course 
     of this campaign have wasted taxpayer dollars and weaponized 
     House resources, including committee and floor time, that 
     could have otherwise been used to help the people of the 
     United States;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives is 
     politicizing the 25th Amendment and the health of the United 
     States President during a global pandemic in order to 
     influence the upcoming November elections;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives has 
     failed to negotiate in good faith in regard to providing 
     COVID-19 relief to the people of the United States;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives is 
     politicizing the 25th Amendment and the health of the United 
     States President in order to increase leverage on 
     negotiations involving COVID-19 relief;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives is 
     abusing the power of the House of Representatives, violating 
     the intent of the 25th Amendment for political purposes, and 
     misusing taxpayer dollars;
       Whereas the Speaker of the House of Representatives is 
     degrading the office she holds and conducting herself in a 
     manner that does not reflect creditably on the House of 
     Representatives; and
       Whereas, if allowed to stand, this action by the Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives would set a dangerous precedent 
     for the constitutional system of Government in the United 
     States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of the statements and 
     actions of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
     the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives for 
     politicizing the 25th Amendment of the Constitution of the 
     United States.

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