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Larson, Members of Congress Urge VP Pence, Cabinet to Invoke 25th Amendment

January 8, 2021

Washington, D.C. – After a violent mob, instigated by President Trump, stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of the electoral college results, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) led a group of 30 lawmakers in writing to Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet, asking them to invoke the 25th Amendment.

"After the horrific attack on the Capitol yesterday, instigated by President Trump, we are writing to you to request you invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to determine the President as unfit if he ‘is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,'" wrote the Members.

"Yesterday's events were shocking and unprecedented in our nation's history. They amount to an attempted coup of our nation's legislative body to stop the certification of the electoral college results and the peaceful transition of power from one Administration to the next," they continued. "President Trump's role leading up to and during the events have made it clear that he is unfit to remain in office for the next 13 days and poses imminent danger to our democracy."

The full letter can be found below and here.

January 8, 2021

Vice President Michael R. Pence

Office of the Vice President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. Vice President,

After the horrific attack on the Capitol yesterday, instigated by President Trump, we are writing to you to request you invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to determine the President as unfit if he "is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."

This week's events were shocking and unprecedented in our nation's history. They amount to an attempted coup of our nation's legislative body to stop the certification of the electoral college results and the peaceful transition of power from one Administration to the next. President Trump's role leading up to and during the events have made it clear that he is unfit to remain in office for the next 13 days and poses imminent danger to our democracy.

His attacks on you, his own Vice President, his attempts to coerce the Georgia Secretary of State to illegally tamper with election results, his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud denounced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and not supported by the courts or states, and his insistence that he won the election in a landslide, all demonstrate he is a malignant narcissist and demagogue who is incapable of leading and protecting the country.

Equally alarming is his response to the rioters, from failing to provide necessary federal resources including the National Security Special Event designation; turning down the request of the DC Police to have the National Guard participate in the security of the event; failing to immediately deploy additional support once it became clear that the Capitol was breached; and calling the violent rioters "true patriots". Therefore, we urge you to expeditiously step in and move forward with invoking the 25th Amendment. Our democracy is at risk and we must explore every measure the Constitution affords us to remove him from office.

We request an immediate response.

Sincerely,

John B. Larson

MEMBER OF CONGRESS

CC:

The Honorable Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture

The Honorable Jeffrey Rosen, Acting Attorney General

The Honorable Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Secretary of Commerce

The Honorable Christopher C. Miller, Acting Secretary of Defense

The Honorable Dan Brouillette, Secretary of Energy

The Honorable Mictchell M. Zias, Acting Secretary of Education

The Honorable Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services

The Honorable Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security

The Honorable Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

The Honorable David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Interior

The Honorable Eugene Scalia, Secretary of Labor

The Honorable Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State

The Honorable Steven Bradbury, Acting Secretary of Transportation

The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury

The Honorable Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veteran Affairs

List of signatories:

1. Rep. Michael Doyle

2. Rep. Mark Pocan

3. Rep. Brendan F. Boyle

4. Rep. Salud Carbajal

5. Rep. Danny K. Davis

6. Rep. Bill Foster

7. Rep. Jim Cooper

8. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro

9. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr.

10. Rep. Jahana Hayes

11. Rep. Marilyn Strickland

12. Rep. Jason Crow

13. Rep. Susan Wild

14. Rep. Steve Cohen

15. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard

16. Rep. Peter DeFazio

17. Rep. Linda T. Sánchez

18. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán

19. Rep. Jimmy Panetta

20. Rep. James P. McGovern

21. Rep. Ted Deutch

22. Rep. André Carson

23. Rep. Judy Chu

24. Rep. Grace F. Napolitano

25. Rep. Marie Newman

26. Rep. Earl Blumenauer

27. Rep. Steven Horsford

28. Rep. Peter Welch

29. Rep. Filemon Vela