Friends,
Wednesday afternoon, as a joint session of Congress got underway to count electoral college votes and certify the election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, a mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, overpowered Capitol Police, and forced their way inside, ransacking and looting Congressional offices and the Senate chamber. They waved Confederate flags and replaced U.S. flags with Trump flags. The rioters were incited by President Donald Trump, who spoke to the crowd earlier at a rally, repeating baseless allegations of election fraud, lying about the results, and directing the crowd to march to the Capitol. A short while later, the mob mounted an insurrection. Four people died.
For the safety and security of the nation, Trump must be immediately removed from office. The quickest way to remove Trump from office is via Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. Under this measure, if the vice president and a majority of cabinet members agree that a president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” the vice president becomes acting president. If Trump were to challenge them, Congress would have 21 days to decide if the vice president would remain in charge. By then, Joe Biden will have been sworn in as president. Learn more about how this process would work in this explainer from Vox. If the cabinet refuses to act, impeachment proceedings should begin immediately in the House, followed by conviction in the Senate and Trump’s removal from office.
Rep. Chellie Pingree and Sen. Angus King Jr. have called for the cabinet and vice president to invoke the 25th Amendment. Pingree has also signed on to articles of impeachment being introduced in the House. They join nearly 3 dozen other Democratic representatives, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and others. We ask Rep. Jared Golden and Sen. Susan Collins to join them.
THE ACTION
Call Rep. Golden and Sen. Collins and ask them to support the immediate removal of Trump from office, either by the 25th Amendment or impeachment.
- Sen. Susan Collins: (202) 224-2523
- Rep. Jared Golden: (202) 225-6306
Find your MoCs’ complete contact information in our Civic Dashboard and share this call to action directly from our website.
In solidarity,
The Suit Up Maine Admin Team
On our website you’ll also find:
- Maine Votes 2020: Everything you need to vote November 3, including actions, volunteer opportunities, and links to voter forms.
- Letter to the Editor Guide: Tips on writing LTEs and a list of Maine newspapers that accept them.
- Top Events: A list of upcoming progressive events across the state.
- Guides & Explainers: Resources on complex topics.
- Civic Dashboard: Contact info for your elected officials, tutorials on the legislative process, and more.
