25TH AMENDMENT

The terrorist bombing attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed at least 12 service members was the final straw for some Republicans.

The fall of Kabul on Sunday and the resultant emergency evacuation of U.S. citizens from Afghanistan have triggered a wave of outrage among lawmakers, with numerous Republicans going beyond mere criticism of the Biden administration's drawdown of U.S. troops to say that the president ought to vacate office.

Some Republicans are floating an improbable use of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove President Joe Biden from office in the wake of the United States’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan amid a Taliban takeover of the country’s capital of Kabul over the weekend.

Trump to reemerge at CPAC as GOP tries to plot its future

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump listens during an event in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. For the past four years, Trump has enjoyed special status not given to regular users on Twitter and Facebook even as he used his perch atop the social media pyramid to peddle misinformation and hurl abuse at his critics. Could his loose leash on the platforms come to an end on Jan. 20, 2021, when his successor is inaugurated? (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Law professor breaks down options for holding Trump accountable Members of Congress are looking at different pathways to hold President Trump accountable after the assault on the U.S. Capitol last week, including recommending the 25th Amendment, pursuing impeachment, or using a provision of the 14th Amendment to bar him from future office. Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School, joins CBSN to break them all down.

Law professor breaks down options for holding Trump accountable Members of Congress are looking at different pathways to hold President Trump accountable after the assault on the U.S. Capitol last week, including recommending the 25th Amendment, pursuing impeachment, or using a provision of the 14th Amendment to bar him from future office. Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School, joins CBSN to break them all down.

House measure urges use of 25th Amendment as Democrats press to oust Trump The Democratic-led House is set to vote on a measure urging Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office. It comes as they’re also prepared to move forward with impeachment. CBS News chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes joins CBSN AM with the latest.

Washington — The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to convene the Cabinet and remove President Trump from office under the 25th Amendment. But before the House concluded its vote, Pence said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he will not be invoking the 25th Amendment. Pence said it's his belief the 25th Amendment is intended to be invoked when the president is incapacitated, not in a situation such as this, and said invoking the 25th Amendment now would create a "terrible precedent." Appearing at the event on the Ellipse near the White House, Mr. Trump urged supporters in attendance to "fight like hell." House Democrats said that if Pence does not invoke the 25th Amendment, they will proceed with the impeachment process starting Wednesday.

The U.S. House of Representatives geared up to move forward with impeachment, with proceedings on Monday led by Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. During the short session Monday morning, Democrats tried to pass a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. Michigan’s members of Congress weighed in on a possible second impeachment of President Donald Trump. So far, none of Michigan’s Republican members have said whether they will vote for the articles of impeachment introduced Monday. “We will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat,” Pelosi said in a letter late Sunday to colleagues.

Congress is again set to take up an article of impeachment against President Trump. Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens (11th District) spoke with Local 4 on Monday morning to discuss the steps lawmakers are taking this week. We are aware that the Cabinet met to explore invoking the 25th Amendment late into the night on Wednesday, Jan. 6. If he doesn’t, we are going to move forward with impeachment,” said Stevens. Read more: What is the 25th Amendment and how does it work?

Democrats call on Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump Democrats plan to bring a resolution to the House floor calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows for the president to be removed from power with support from a majority of his Cabinet. If Pence doesn't act, the Democratic-led House will move to impeach Mr. Trump for an unprecedented second time. Kim Whele, a law professor at the University of Baltimore and author of "How to Read the Constitution - and Why," joins "CBSN AM" with more.

Removing Trump from his job a few days early isn’t the only reason to act, though. Trump has spent four years trashing democratic norms, and those norms still need to be repaired. A few prominent Republicans, including at least three governors and one U.S. senator, have urged Trump to quit. So this too is not a practical way to move Trump out of the White House before Jan. 20. If Republicans join Democrats in voting yes, it would make Trump the first president in history to be impeached twice, a striking rebuke.

Legal analyst on latest efforts to remove Trump from office Democrats in Congress are pushing to remove President Trump from office with either a second impeachment or use of the 25th Amendment. Kim Wehle, professor of law at the University of Baltimore, joined CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the legal process.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)Michigan members of a Catholic religious institute are calling on lawmakers to immediately remove President Donald Trump from office following the deadly riot that shook the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The Adrian Dominican Sisters -- who founded and sponsor Siena Heights University in Michigan -- specifically singled out senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Tim Walberg on Friday to take action to remove President Trump from office. Several Cabinet members and White House employees have resigned from their posts following the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol. President Trump has since publicly condemned the violence in Washington, and even conceded to President-elect Biden for the first time on Thursday evening. Pelosi told Democrats that the top military official assured her steps are in place to prevent a Trump nuclear launch.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The talk about removing President Trump from office continues to gain supporters in Washington. Several Members of Congress, including two Republicans and the Speaker of the House, former Cabinet officials, a leading business group, and the Editorial Board of the Washington Post have all called for invoking the 25th Amendment. The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1967, following the assassination of President Kennedy. “We’ve never had a Vice-President say about the President, we don’t think you can do your job anymore,” he said. If the 25th Amendment is invoked, President Trump could run again in four years, but if he were impeached and convicted, he would no longer be eligible for office.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the House to move ahead with impeachment if President Donald Trump does not resign after helping to stoke a mob's deadly takeover of the U.S. Capitol, she said Friday. The House Rules Committee is expected to expedite impeachment proceedings without committee hearings or votes. Those steps would slow down the process only days before Trump will leave office on Jan. 20. Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, earlier told CNN that the chamber could move to impeach Trump "as early as mid-next week."

Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. ___4:55 p.m.Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has become the first Republican member of the Senate to call for President Donald Trump’s resignation. —Alan Fram___12:45 p.m.A leading centrist Democratic senator says it seems unlikely that President Donald Trump can be quickly removed from office. Schiff said Friday that Democrats warned during Trump’s impeachment that he would “try to cheat” to remain in office. ___8:40 a.m.A police officer has died from injuries he suffered when President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol.

Lawmakers call for use of 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office Democratic leaders are putting pressure on the President's Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him from office. This comes as two of those Cabinet members have resigned in the wake of the Capitol siege. CBS News chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes joins CBSN AM with more.

"I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the vice president and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment." "I don't think it will take long to get an answer from the vice president," Pelosi said. Pelosi also said she was demanding the resignation of the U.S. Capitol Police over the failure to prevent rioters from breaching the Capitol building. Lawmakers were evacuated from their chambers and remained in a secure location for five hours before the Capitol was secured.

Lawmakers calling for 25th Amendment or impeachment to remove Trump from office From both sides of the aisle, members of Congress are calling for President Trump to be removed from office after violent rioters broke into the Capitol. Mr. Trump could be forced out if his second-in-command invokes the 25th Amendment, but so far, Vice President Mike Pence won't talk with Democrat leaders. Nancy Cordes reports.

"The general plan now is to let the clock run out," said one former senior administration official aware of the discussions. A current senior administration official said Pompeo may have been gathering information in preparation for a Cabinet discussion, even if he himself was not willing to personally lead the effort. Beyond the exploratory conversations among the secretaries and their staffs, there was no formal advancement of the effort. More administration officials resigned Thursday. Chris Liddell, deputy chief of staff for policy coordination, has decided to stay in his role leading the transition to the new administration, according to another senior administration official.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York and member of House Democratic leadership, tweeted that Mr. Trump "should be impeached, convicted and removed from office immediately." Two Republican governors, Larry Hogan of Maryland and Phil Scott of Vermont, have also said Mr. Trump should not remain in office. Scott, too, said Mr. Trump should be either removed from office or step aside. "President Trump has orchestrated a campaign to cause an insurrection that overturns the results of a free, fair and legal election," he said in a statement Wednesday. It's unclear whether congressional Republicans beyond Kinzinger would support the efforts to remove Mr. Trump from office.

"I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the vice president and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment." "I don't think it will take long to get an answer from the vice president," Pelosi said. Pelosi also said she was demanding the resignation of the U.S. Capitol Police over the failure to prevent rioters from breaching the Capitol building. Lawmakers were evacuated from their chambers and remained in a secure location for five hours before the Capitol was secured.

So what is the 25th Amendment and its Section 4 provision? What is the 25th Amendment? The 25th Amendment was passed by Congress on July 6, 1965, and ratified on Feb. 10, 1967. The 25th Amendment has been used multiple times over the years, according to Richard Kay, an expert on constitutional law and a Wallace Stevens Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Connecticut. The most important factor needed to use the 25th Amendment is having the vice president and a majority of the cabinet on board, says Kay.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. The tragedy deepened late Thursday as a Capitol police officer injured in the melee died, the fifth death related to the riot. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick died from injuries sustained responding to the riot on Wednesday at the Capitol. The procedure allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. Black lawmakers, in particular, noted the way the mostly white Trump supporters were treated.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York and member of House Democratic leadership, tweeted that Mr. Trump "should be impeached, convicted and removed from office immediately." Two Republican governors, Larry Hogan of Maryland and Phil Scott of Vermont, have also said Mr. Trump should not remain in office. Scott, too, said Mr. Trump should be either removed from office or step aside. "President Trump has orchestrated a campaign to cause an insurrection that overturns the results of a free, fair and legal election," he said in a statement Wednesday. It's unclear whether congressional Republicans beyond Kinzinger would support the efforts to remove Mr. Trump from office.

Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said Thursday, "It's time to invoke the 25th Amendment and end this nightmare." The first section states that if a president dies or resigns or is removed from office, the vice president shall become president. Section 3 allows the president to temporarily transfer power to the vice president, and Section 4 explains how Cabinet members and the vice president can invoke the amendment to remove a president who is unable to fulfill his role. If this group determines the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office," the vice president immediately becomes acting president. History of the 25th AmendmentThe 25th Amendment was adopted in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to help clarify the chain of events required if the president or vice president needs to be replaced.

Anxious about what President Trump might do in the remaining 13 days of his tenure? Wondering if the 25th Amendment might provide a solution? The amendment was adopted in the 1960s, spurred on by President Eisenhower’s heart attacks and President Kennedy’s assassination. So that would mean a maximum of seven days so far, assuming a disputed attempt to invoke the 25th. “The 25th Amendment is an important and valuable addition to the Constitution,” Gilbert wrote, but psychiatric diagnoses are complicated and hard to apply.

The 25th Amendment allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to relieve the president of his duties. "It's time to invoke the 25th Amendment and to end this nightmare," Kinzinger said in a video he posted to Twitter Thursday morning. It’s with a heavy heart I am calling for the sake of our Democracy that the 25th Amendment be invoked. A growing number of Democrats are also calling for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, or for impeachment, removal and a permanent ban from running for office. As CBS News has reported, some Cabinet members have begun to whisper about whether to invoke the 25th Amendment.

Cabinet members discuss invoking 25th Amendment to remove Trump from power Members of President Trump's Cabinet have discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from power in light of Wednesday's assault on the U.S. Capitol. "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan joined CBSN to discuss the latest developments.

“I don’t think anybody’s put us in this position so that we can be worried about our own self. I think they put us in to do the right thing, and I think the fact that we’re at a moment where somebody’s doing something that could lead to potential violence or threats is exactly the reason voters put us here,” Kinzinger told the Tribune. “Because this is … not a way of functional democracy. The most important thing is not political survival but really the survival of the union.”

Michigan House Democrats have called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office after his supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol as Congress certified Electoral College results Wednesday. Democrats said Trump is responsible for egging on rioters who breached the Capitol while Congress certificated President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. He is a danger to the country.”Members of Congress were forced to evacuate offices and barricade themselves as pro-Trump protesters paraded through the Capitol and clashed with police. As of Thursday morning, Republicans were hesitant to call for Trump’s removal. Lawrence said the U.S. is “in danger with Trump as president,” in a statement on Twitter Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is calling for the immediate removal of President Donald Trump from office. Learn more: What is the 25th Amendment and how does it work? Michigan lawmakers call on Pence to invoke 25th AmendmentAfter the events Wednesday, lawmakers began calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Michigan lawmakers joined representatives around the country in asking Pence to invoke the amendment and assume Trump’s duties as president for the remainder of his term. These are the MI members of Congress calling for the removal of the President.

Klobuchar called out Republicans who backed the president's accusations of voter fraud but said that this incident is the tipping point for some of the president's staunchest supporters. Read a portion of their conversation below:Anthony Mason: We're joined by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Senator Amy Klobuchar: You know, when I hear that, I was not thinking of how it was terrifying for myself, not once. King: Do you think maybe for the first time, Senator Klobuchar, that maybe even his staunchest allies have said enough? Do you think that finally maybe this is a tipping point that something will be done with President Trump?

"I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the vice president and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment." "I don't think it will take long to get an answer from the vice president," Pelosi said. Pelosi also said she was demanding the resignation of the U.S. Capitol Police over the failure to prevent rioters from breaching the Capitol building. Lawmakers were evacuated from their chambers and remained in a secure location for five hours before the Capitol was secured.

Read: Experts: Capitol riot product of years of hateful rhetoricIn response, lawmakers are calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Learn more: What is the 25th Amendment and how does it work? The Vice President and Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment, or Congress should impeach and remove the President. — Brenda Lawrence (@RepLawrence) January 7, 2021Rep. Haley Stevens, Michigan’s 11th DistrictI encourage those with the authority to invoke the 25th Amendment to exercise that power. pic.twitter.com/5VK8DLTLn4 — David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) January 7, 2021Speaker of the U.S. House Rep. Nancy Pelosi, from California, previously introduced legislation in October requesting Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

Trump Cabinet members discuss possibility of invoking 25th Amendment "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan reports some senior members of the Trump administration have discussed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment, which could be used to remove a president from office and make the vice president the commander in chief. She joins "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell for a CBS News Special Report in the aftermath of the violent protests at the Capitol.

The 25th Amendment has never been used to remove a president -- but it’s there for a reason. The 25th Amendment, proposed by Congress and ratified by the states in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, provides the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in the event of death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. Pelosi has been raising questions about Trump's mental fitness since his COVID-19 diagnosis and demanding more transparency about his health. “It's an absurd proposal," said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Fox. But the bill serves as a political tool to stoke questions about Trump's health as his own White House is hit by an outbreak infecting top aides, staff and visitors, including senators. In a stunning admission, McConnell said Thursday that he had stopped going to the White House two months ago because he disagreed with its coronavirus protocols.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Negotiations between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for an additional coronavirus aid package were abruptly halted last week by President Donald Trump. Just weeks before the Nov. 3 election, Pelosi said Trump needs to disclose more about his health after his COVID-19 diagnosis. It all came in a head-spinning series of tweets and comments days after he returned to the White House after his hospitalization with COVID-19. The White House presented a $1.6 trillion counter offer.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Negotiations between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for an additional coronavirus aid package were abruptly halted last week by President Donald Trump. Just weeks before the Nov. 3 election, Pelosi said Trump needs to disclose more about his health after his COVID-19 diagnosis. It all came in a head-spinning series of tweets and comments days after he returned to the White House after his hospitalization with COVID-19. The White House presented a $1.6 trillion counter offer.