Contingencies for a seriously ill president Although the president has access to some of the best and most immediate health care in the world, his age and obesity put him into higher risk categories for more serious symptoms for COVID-19. Patient experiences range dramatically, but some of the most serious courses of treatment include use of a ventilator. When a patient is put on a ventilator, the patient is non-verbal because of the insertion of the tube through the vocal cords and they are given some level of sedation, ranging from minimal to deep sedation. During this time, a patient’s cognitive abilities would at least be affected or completely absent. More intensive sedation therapies, including drug-induced paralysis, can be used in the treatment of severe COVID-19 complications. In an unfortunate scenario in which the president were to contract COVID-19 and need therapies such as a ventilator and/or the use of other therapies that would impair his cognitive abilities and/or abilities to communicate, there are a few procedures in place to deal with that situation. If the president is given notice that he is to be administered therapies that will impair his ability to perform the duties of office—for functional reasons, cognitive reasons, or both—under Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, the president can transmit to the House and Senate “his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” The invocation of Section 3 of the 25th Amendment has happened multiple times. President Reagan did so in 1985 and President George W. Bush did so twice in 2002 and 2007. Each time was for medical procedures in which anesthesia or heavy sedation was used. President Clinton likely should have invoked Section 3 during a 1997 knee surgery, but opted not to, claiming he was never put under general anesthesia. When Section 3 is invoked, the vice president becomes “acting president” until the president notifies the House and Senate that he is able to perform his duties once again. In the event that the president were sick, his condition declined rapidly, and he was unable to invoke Section 3 of the 25th Amendment, Section 4 provides a solution to such a crisis. Under Section 4, the vice president and a majority of the cabinet can send notice to the House and Senate “that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” And as in the case of invoking Section 3, the vice president will serve as acting president. Once a president recovers, he can transmit that to the House and Senate, and he will re-take the powers unless the vice president and a majority of the cabinet tell Congress that the president remains incapacitated—at which point Congress would vote on incapacity. The latter is the intended use of Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. While some of the president’s opponents have fantastically called for the vice president and cabinet to declare the president incapacitated based on disagreements with his behaviors, amateur diagnoses of non-specific medical issues, or dissatisfaction with his temperament, that should not diminish the importance of the provisions of Section 4. There can be real scenarios in which the president’s medical condition suddenly creates an incapacity, and in that situation, the country will have an individual who is able to execute the full powers of the office of president—in that case, Acting President Mike Pence. While presidential incapacity would be a serious national situation, the government would be able to function in a largely uninterrupted way until the president is recovered.
You guys are celebrating like he’s had a massive coronary. Because leftards gotta tard. Its not like he collapsed in a van, HRC style. He’ll cough. Sniffle. And beat it back. The Right will celebrate how tough he is. The Left will whine that he didn’t die. He probably had it at the debate - imagine being able to perform that well while ‘suffering’ from WuhanCovaids? Thanks China!
Herman Cain had cancer. Trumpy is a runaway locomotive. You tards are acting like it’s Christmas Day. Never seen you so happy. Nancy Pelosi is waving hello from her hair salon with no mask. You Libs thought Trump 2016-2020 was rough. Wait till you get Trump 2020-2024 WITH COVID ANTIBODIES!!!
Ya, a locomotive failing to navigate ramps and lift glasses of water. Not to mention that secret trip to the hospital to get his hair done. Also you don't still seem to get it, even people who have recovered show huge weariness from the disease after recovery, and we are talking about a 74 year old obese turd who looks like a burn victim. Good luck with all that.
Being it's 2020, the year of just wait I got more for you, what happens if both Trump and Biden croak? Is there an election come next month? If Trump or Biden dies, is there an election? I would think a delay until spring would be best under those conditions.