The head of the House Democratic Caucus warned Tuesday that voters should have no faith in Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to certify this year’s presidential election results because of his role in promoting former President Trump’s false claims about the 2020 contest being “rigged.”
“He doesn’t have a track record that would indicate to the American people that he should be believed,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said during a press briefing in the Capitol.
The charge came shortly after Johnson, appearing at the same pressroom podium, had vowed to back the certification of the winner of this year’s contest between Trump and Vice President Harris — if the elections are “free, fair and safe.”
It doesn’t work that way.
If Biden is out, Harris becomes President, picks her own VP who would do the certification.
If Harris is out, well that would be a nightmare because of the election, but Biden would replace her and that VP would do the certification.
If Biden AND Harris are both lost in some kind of catastrophe, Johnson becomes President and still doesn’t certify the election because whoever he picks for VP would do that.
It’s not that neat.
According to the 25th Amendment, if there is a vacancy in the VP slot, a candidate is nominated by the President but must be confirmed by both Houses of Congress.
You can immediately see why that would be a problem if the GOP has control of either House.
Oh? I thought the whole cabinet shuffled by one. TIL.
Shuffles by one if it has to, but anyone with a boss can just be replaced because that higher authority exists.
Usually this is discussed with just the president, who has no higher authority, or in the case of mass death like nuclear war, with an assumption that we lose a good chunk of the government. But not this conversation, where VP matters more than P for certification.