A Republican has filed articles of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris over her handling of the southern border and for hiding the truth about President Joe Biden’s “cognitive well-being.”
Harris has faced attacks from the Republican Party from all sides since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Republicans have accused her of “covering up” the president’s cognitive decline and demanded that she invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Biden from office.
The 25th Amendment, which outlines presidential succession, gives the vice president and the Cabinet the power to remove the commander in chief from office should he or she be determined to be no longer fit for office. Under Section 4, a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate is needed to determine that the president is “unable to discharge” his or her “powers and duties.”
The first article of impeachment filed by Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., “deliberate refusal to uphold immigration laws,” stems from his alleged “inaction” on border security and immigration enforcement as “border czar.”
The second article of impeachment, “breach of public trust,” alleges that Harris “deliberately misled” the public and Congress about Biden’s “physical and cognitive well-being.”
Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles has filed articles of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris over her handling of the southern border and her insistence that Joe Biden was fit to lead the Democratic ticket.
Since Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Republicans have again begun criticizing Harris’ record as Biden’s “border czar” under an administration that saw record illegal border crossings.
Biden appointed Harris early in his administration to address the “root causes” of immigration.
Since Biden and Harris took office, illegal immigration into the United States has skyrocketed to more than 8 million crossings, and is expected to reach 10 million by the end of September.
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Monday introduced a resolution “condemning Kamala Harris’ role as Joe Biden’s ‘border czar,’ which led to the most catastrophic open border crisis in history.”
And calls for the 25th Amendment have grown louder as Biden lashes out in Delaware for six days with a Covid-19 diagnosis and the biggest decision of his life hanging over his head.
The president finally bowed to public pressure and dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday, nearly a month after his disastrous debate performance.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, first introduced a resolution just after the debate calling on Harris “to convene the Cabinet and declare President Joe Biden unable to carry out his duties as Commander in Chief.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that he was still considering whether to introduce the resolution to the House floor.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., called for Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment and on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against the vice president for disregarding border laws.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., wrote a letter to each of Biden’s Cabinet members urging them to invoke the 25th Amendment.
Harris has faced Republican attacks from all sides since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
“If President Biden is willing to admit that he cannot continue to serve as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president after the primary process due to his health, he will not be able to continue serving as president until January 20, 2025,” Schmitt said in the letters.
“If President Biden is willing to admit that he cannot continue to serve as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president after the primary process due to his health, he will not be able to continue serving as president until January 20, 2025,” Schmitt said in the letters.
Democrats have scoffed at that idea.
“That’s a Jim Crow-era tactic,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., told DailyMail.com.
“Let the American people speak. Let’s go vote. And I think there should also be a discussion about whether or not a person who has been convicted of a crime has the right to go into public housing, which is the White House.”
“It’s totally stupid,” Democratic Caucus vice chairman Rep. Ted Lieu told DailyMail.com of the tactic.
“(Biden) has done a phenomenal job as president and he’s going to continue to do so. The fact that he decided not to run for reelection has nothing to do with him being president right now.”
The fact that their calls would likely fall on deaf ears within the Cabinet did not deter Republicans.
“We cannot have a Commander in Chief in charge of the nuclear codes who is experiencing the level of cognitive decline that we see in President Biden,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., in calling for the 25th Amendment.
“The 25th Amendment is looking pretty good right now,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-N.C., said on X in response to a clip of Biden caught on camera for the first time in six days.
“She lied then and she will lie again. Joe Biden is unfit to run for president and therefore unfit to serve as president, but Vice President Harris lied to the American people and covered it up. We must immediately invoke the 25th Amendment,” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., wrote in the X.
Congress cannot invoke the 25th Amendment: the Cabinet and vice president must agree to do so. The resolution would simply increase the pressure on them to do so.
Still, the prospect of such a drastic measure appears to meet with little opposition even among moderate Republicans.
“It’s a sad situation and I feel bad for the president,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., told DailyMail.com. “I just hope he can govern.”
“I think it’s perfectly reasonable for someone to ask whether the president is as fit to run as he is to govern,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.
“I think the president has lost a lot of ground compared to just a couple of years ago. So I think clearly the reason we have a 25th Amendment is so that those within the administration who are closest to the president can assess whether he is up to the task, and I certainly hope that assessment continues to be made.”
