Kamala Harris became acting president for a brief period on Friday 11/19/2021 when President Joe Biden was hospitalized. President Biden was undering going a colonoscopy exam, at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. Due to the use of anesthesia as part of the process, President Biden was temporarily “unfit” to serve as president resulting in Kamala Harris becoming acting president for a short period of time. This transfer of power is conveyed in Amendment 25, Section 3 of the Constitution which allows temporary transfer of power to the vice president after a written declaration that the current president is unable to fulfill the duties of a president. This declaration was sent to the Speaker of the House and the Pro Tempore of the Senate to be read to both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Later, a similar letter was sent to the Speaker and the Pro Tempore stating that the President was fit again to be president. This has also occurred during George W. Bush’s presidency, when he also had to undergo a similar procedure. Although President Biden’s exam only lasted for an hour and twenty-five minutes, during that time, it technically made Kamala Harris the first female president of color in the US. I don't think this really counts as having the first female president because Kamala Harris did not go through the rites of presidential swearing in. Even though the event did not even last a full day, it is an interesting constitutional procedure to think about since it raises questions on whenever this can occur again and possibly for a much longer period of time. Joe Biden, being the oldest president thus far in office, leads one to wonder about possible health issues that may come up that could impair his ability to lead. At that time, Amendment 25, Section 3 may need to be pulled out again. Fortunately, President Joe Biden has not suffered any major injuries or hospitalizations since becoming president. Additionally, his December 2019 physical has been cited as being “healthy” and “vigorous;” however, there are signs of this aging. Joe Biden's physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor has stated that since 2003 Joe Biden has been suffering from atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat that has been linked to increased risk of strokes. President Biden has begun to take medication to help treat and prevent this, therefore, I do think that Kamala will still have a larger opportunity to step in and make more executive decisions anytime soon.
Biden after the exam
Do you think this part of the constitution will have to be enacted more often due to health concerns?
Should Kamala Harris be remembered as the 1st female president for her one hour and 25 minute tenure?
How do you think Joe Biden’s image will be tarnished if he has to continue giving power to Kamala Harris?
How do you think this could affect voters in the upcoming election?
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/politics/kamala-harris-presidential-power/index.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59352170
22 comments:
I think that Kamala Harris could be considered the first WPOC president under the circumstances, however, because it was for such a short amount of time, I feel that when a woman who is truly sworn in to be POTUS will count more towards being officially the first woman president America has had. It is not to say that I don't think Harris has broken through the gender norms when it comes to her profession, I believe she has actually paved the way for many more women to take larger and more important positions. While Joe Biden is old and has some health concerns, I don’t think that over the next few years they will have to enact this part of the constitution again. His doctors and medication seem to have these concerns out of control, and the procedure he had to undergo was more of a checkup. However, if he were to have to enact this part of the constitution again, I think this would negatively affect his reelection in the future as some may see him as unfit to run the country due to health concerns. Many might deem it risky to have him as president, as if something goes wrong, the country might get a little unstable. If Harris keeps needing to have to step in, I believe that many will view Biden as someone incapable of being able to run the country, as he would have to devote more of his focus on his health, leaving less time to run a country.
There is a chance that this part of the constitution will have to be enacted more, but it’s hard to say with any certainty whether it will or won’t because health can’t always be predicted. But while I hope that Biden continues to be healthy during his time in office, him being older definitely puts him at a higher risk for health concerns. As for Kamala Harris, I definitely wish we could have a first female president, but I think that landmark is yet to come, as Harris was more of an “acting president” or “VP with the powers of president” during this time. But as Arissa said, Harris has already made historic victories for women and paved the way for others. I don’t think that this one event should tarnish Biden’s image because it was a routine procedure and wasn’t because of a health concern, but if his health does decline and this needs to happen more times, I can see why people would be concerned over Harris having to step in so much.
This doesn't really count as having our first women president, other than a fun piece of trivia. Harris was only serving as POTUS for a bit over an hour and didn't really do anything during that time. In regards to health concerns, I think it's important to note the increasing age of political leaders. Biden, Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Nancy Pelosi are all older than seventy. In Biden's case while his doctors think he is overall healthy, healthy for seventy-nine is a different matter. Furthermore, if he decides to seek another term he would be eighty four and still serving as president, which is rather absurd. Even if Kamala Harris will serve for other hour long 'terms' for medical procedures, it doesn't really count if she doesn't do anything.
I think this is a vital part of our constitution, having someone be able to act as sitting president in a moment is vital especially with Biden's age and if his health declines choosing a president that would go through the primaries and the general elections would take way too long , but I don't think what Kamala did was her being the first female president, what she did was cool and will be remembered but it didn't have any significant effect. The country had no major issues and nothing drastic happened in the hour and twenty five minutes she was in office. This event was really just something "cool" being the first female president but she didn't do anything to change the country so no I don't think it should count as being the first female president.
I agree with Arissa - I don't think this part of the Constitution will have to be enacted more often in the next few years. Biden may be nearing 80, but he is healthy and resilient as evident by his doctor's response. Moreover, although Lilly is right that major political figures such as Pelosi, McConnell, and Biden are over 70, they are all healthy and fit to fulfill their duties as politicians. I have a strong belief in the American people that they will vote for candidates who they think will be physically and mentally capable of holding office. Think about every U.S. President... only Harding, Taylor, Harrison, and FDR were unfit to fulfill office (all of them died due to sickness during their presidency). Being president is an extremely taxing role, and anyone running for office is aware of the physical and mental toll it takes - therefore it is unlikely that this will be enacted more often.
Also, Harris should not be remembered as the first female president for her 1 hour 25 minute tenure. Like Arissa said, a woman should actually be elected president for her to be considered the first female president. If people call Harris the first female president after this brief role, that would undermine when a woman actually becomes president. It would be silly and offensive to women for people to start calling Harris "president" because Biden had a colonoscopy. Let's make it happen for real.
I don’t think that Section 3 of the 25th Amendment will have to be enacted more often in the future due to health concerns because I think that people tend to vote for presidents and leaders who they know are healthy and able to complete their responsibilities. Furthermore, according to stats from Statista, the age of U.S. presidents has no specific pattern, so since presidents are not getting older, there shouldn’t be any major health concerns (at least not due to age). However, if it is used in the future for things such as check-ups where the president needs to go under anesthesia or minor surgeries, I hope that it will be de-stigmatized a bit. I hope that a small ligament surgery or a colonoscopy wouldn’t immediately lead people to the conclusion that someone is unable to do their job in the future. Perhaps the range of negative and positive comments about the transfer of power have to do with people interpreting events in a way that confirms their previous beliefs. However, if a president does have to keep transferring power for major health concerns, then I could see why people would start to become concerned.
Research link: https://www.statista.com/chart/19665/age-of-us-presidents-at-inauguration/
There is always the chance that Biden will undergo health concerns due to his age but I find it unlikely if his physical is accurate. There is the off chance that the administration could be hiding something from the media because they don’t want the public to think that Biden is unhealthy. If that is the case, Amendment 25, Section 3 may have to be enacted in the future. But again, I feel like this is unlikely to happen. I agree with Arissa that Harris has spent a lot of hard work and should be remembered as a key figure in American history because she was able to break a lot of barriers as a woman of color. She should be an inspiration to many and should be remembered for her accomplishments. That said, I don’t think she will be remembered as the 1st female president unless she actually ran and was elected president. Her one hour and twenty-five minute tenure was very short-lived and honestly, she didn’t do anything, so it acts more of a symbolic tenure more than anything. If Biden had any visible health problems or weaknesses where he has to continue giving power to Kamala Harris, it will dramatically affect him. The Republican party will not refrain from exposing these weaknesses using ads, rhetoric, and more. This will go against the Democratic Party and what Biden is trying to do as a president. Additionally, his health problems could just eliminate him entirely from the re-election race since he may not be healthy enough to go through the grueling campaign season. He would ultimately be put in a huge disadvantage. There is also the chance that Harris may take his place in dire circumstances which should be interesting because that would give Harris the chance to become the first female president (not just for 1 ½ hours). If this were to happen, I’m curious how the American public would react and what Harris would push for her own agenda.
I would not consider Vice President Kamala Harris to be considered the first female president of the United States. There is a Chain of Command that is enforced with such power and responsibilities, hence Harris was fulfilling her duties by taking over as acting president temporarily. I believe that this will not be the first time Harris will have to step up as acting President due to the health effects of old age. Depending on if this is a common occurrence or not, I believe that the United States will definitely view President Biden differently, and question his ability to fulfill his duties as President. This could effect the votes in upcoming elections, by voting for someone who not only can best represent the United States, but is also fit to represent themselves.
I think it's likely that Amendment 25, Section 3 of the Constitution will be enacted in future circumstances since future presidents will also have to undergo anesthesia for various health concerns, surgery, etc. Lilly makes a good observation in underscoring that being healthy for a 79-year-old takes on a different meaning than a younger person being healthy. There's no telling what could occur in the future of his presidency that may temporarily transfer his powers over to VP Harris again. Even so, the amendment would only be briefly enacted.
I don't think that this amendment will be enacted very often in the future nor need to be, as I'm sure the president receives top-notch care, especially given his age. Though the next president may also be a senior, there's also the chance that they'll be middle-aged, meaning they'll require fewer procedures that make it necessary to enact this amendment, due to their stronger health and younger age.
Section 3 of Amendment 25 states that "a President can declare themselves 'unable to discharge the powers and duties of their office' (unable to do their job)... Once the President does this, the Vice President becomes Acting President." I wouldn't consider Kamala Harris the first WPOC president because her position was as an acting president, meaning she could ACT as president for a brief period of time, but she wasn't sworn in or anything to actually legitimize her as the first WPOC president. Additionally, Biden has the power to take back the presidency at any time, further separating the acting president's powers from the president's powers.
Furthermore, I'm sure this amendment will be enacted as necessary in regards to Biden's health, but as long as it continues to be for "short periods" it shouldn't matter too much. Critics might jump on this opportunity to tarnish Biden's image and claim him unfit for the presidency, but I believe as long as he can continue to enact his job properly, he should be considered fit.
I agree with Danielle that because Kamala was only the "acting President," she should not be considered the first WPOC president. I also agree with Nicky, that giving her this title undermines the importance and the significance that the first WPOC who gets sworn in will have. However, I do believe that Kamala’s success in acting as president for the hour and 25 minutes is an important step towards electing and swearing in the first WPOC president.
As for Biden's health condition, a colonoscopy is a relatively routine procedure, and shouldn't really raise any concern or red flags regarding Biden's health. While I do acknowledge that he is getting older, I think that he appears to be in good shape, and people should not jump to conclusions without knowing more details about his health. I do not think that the 25th Amendment will be used too frequently in the near future, and if it is used, I do not think that we should be concerned. The 25th Amendment was created for a reason, and I believe that Kamala proved that if it becomes necessary to exercise this amendment more often, there should not be any concern or lack of faith in whether Kamala can succeed as “acting president” for the time being.
Like some of the comments before mine, I think that calling Kamala the first WPOC president would undermine the importance, significance and achievement that it holds, especially since it was for less than half a day and that she didn't undergo being sworn in. I think that it's progress to the historic moment, however, I don't think its reasonable to consider her our first WPOC president.
Biden, while he is aging, is still seemingly very well and healthy. I don't think that the 25th amendment will need to be enacted anytime soon. If it comes to it, I believe that Kamala could be considered the first WPOC president under those circumstances, otherwise, I think that the amendment shouldn't be necessary to enact any time soon.
Due to President Biden's old age, I wouldn't be surprised if the 25th ammendment would become relevant again throughout the rest of Biden's presidential term. I wouldn't wish any illnesses or health issues on anytine, especially a person with so much power like the President of the US, but we shouldn't be blinded to the fact that Biden is aging. Depsite that fact, he seems to be a very healthy man so odds are low but it's not entirely impossible. While it is a very historic moment in history, I don't think Kamala Harrris should be considered our first women president. As previous comments have brought up, this undermines the significance this title holds. Yes, Kamala Harris had presidential powers for an hour and 25 mins and therefore was president, but not for a full term. It is not to be forgetten however that she is our firdt woman vice-president, a historic achievement in itself that should not go unrecognized. She is also the first woman to have presidential powers, but I wouldn't consider her to be our first woman president. Hopefully in the next few elections, a woman will be elected and sworn into office. That is when we will have our first woman president. (Elysa Hernandez)
In addition to my previous comment, Kamala Harris is not the first female to step in as acting president. When Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke during his presidency, his wife, Edith Wilson, became acting president for the time being (this was also years prior to the ratification of the twenty-fifth amendment, hence why his wife stepped in and not his Vice President, Thomas Marshall).
I think it’s unlikely the 25th Amendment of the constitution will have to be enacted more often, however since Biden is very old there is always the possibility that comes with natural aging. I don’t think Kamala Harris should be remembered as the 1st female president since she didn’t officially swear in or perform presidential duties during her short time as president, and like people before have said it would undermine the significance of the actual first female president. I think Joe Biden’s image will be tarnished if he continues to give power to Kamala Harris, but since doctor checkups are a natural part of life it would be irrational to point to this specific reason. Although some people might jump on this opportunity and use it as evidence of Biden’s deteriorating health and lack of competence, it is probably motivated by biases voters already have against him. Compared to situations that presidents have faced in the past which are more major events that have significantly decreased public approval ratings, overall Biden’s checkup seems mundane and humorous which shouldn't affect voters in the upcoming election.
Because it was so temporary, I do not think Kamala Harris’ brief role as POTUS classifies her as the first person of color president. It seemed she was more an interim President rather than the official first female POC POTUS. However, symbolically, it is truly incredible to see a WPOC finally representing the presidential seat, even if it was only for an hour. As for Biden’s health, because it was only a simple colonoscopy which not only elders but also middle-aged people take, this certainly won’t make him appear as a weak president. Obviously, if there were larger concerning health issues that resulted in a long absence from office, I feel it’s inevitable that there will be concerns about his ability to lead. After all, that’s part of the reason why Amendment 25, Section 3 of the Constitution--to ensure one is healthy enough to lead. However, I am not too concerned with Biden’s health at the moment as he is afforded the best health care as POTUS and also seems to have his preexisting medical issues under control. By the time his 4-year term is finished, however, Biden will be pretty old which will likely affect his chances of reelection. In the case Biden was reelected, he’d be will be well over the average age to pass away (77.3) by the end of his second term. Therefore, his age will likely affect his reelection.
This comment is by Lauren Mok because she is unable to post a comment due to technical difficulties:
Because it was so temporary, I do not think Kamala Harris’ brief role as POTUS classifies her as the first person of color president. It seemed she was more an interim President rather than the official first female POC POTUS. However, symbolically, it is truly incredible to see a WPOC finally representing the presidential seat, even if it was only for an hour. As for Biden’s health, because it was only a simple colonoscopy which not only elders but also middle-aged people take, this certainly won’t make him appear as a weak president. Obviously, if there were larger concerning health issues that resulted in a long absence from office, I feel it’s inevitable that there will be concerns about his ability to lead. After all, that’s part of the reason why Amendment 25, Section 3 of the Constitution--to ensure one is healthy enough to lead. However, I am not too concerned with Biden’s health at the moment as he is afforded the best health care as POTUS and also seems to have his preexisting medical issues under control. By the time his 4-year term is finished, however, Biden will be pretty old which will likely affect his chances of reelection. In the case Biden was reelected, he’d be will be well over the average age to pass away (77.3) by the end of his second term. Therefore, his age will likely affect his reelection.
Ella brought up a good point about health and it’s predictability, so of course we can’t be sure that this part of the constitution will have to be enacted more often due to his health concerns. I think it’s a cool “technicality” that Kamala Harris became the first female president for a little over an hour, but it was only that. She didn’t perform any “presidential duties” in this short amount of time so in retrospect, as Lilly said, she didn’t have much impact on the presidency. Like others have said, I think that the title of the first woman or WPOC president should be saved as the woman who will actually, hopefully one day, take up that role. Hopefully our president is able to stay in good health, but his age does seem to bring up concerns. If he has to be out more often I think his capability will most definitely be questioned. If Harris does have to more frequently “take over” and Biden decides to run for reelection, I believe voters will be very skeptical in re-electing a president who has been “absent” due to health issues. Biden is getting older and presidents have overall gotten into office at older ages. I feel like there should be some kind of age limit because at some point an older person can’t realistically have such a high stress level job while trying to appeal to everyone else. I feel like the president should be a little younger because the future of the country impacts the younger generations.
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