The White House has just released an announcement that Joe Biden transferred power to Kamala Harris because of an inability to lead temporarily while he undergoes a medical procedure.
Letters notifying Congress regarding the temporary transfer of power, which is outlined under Section 3 of the 25th Amendment, were sent at 10:10 a.m. ET.
At 8:51 a.m., Biden arrived in Bethesda, Maryland for a physical exam and “routine” colonoscopy at Walter Reed Medical Center, just one day before his 79th birthday.
While the White House assured the public that the procedure was “routine,” it just served to further highlight Biden’s advanced age and physical decline.
NBC News reports: “Interest in Biden’s health has been high ever since he declared his candidacy for the White House in 2019 and remains intense as speculation about a 2024 reelection bid swirls. The visit to the medical center in the Washington suburbs was for his first routine physical exam as president — and his first since December 2019.”
Kamala’s power was short-lived, as Biden resumed his duties at approximately 11:35 a.m. after speaking with her, according to a statement from the White House. Harris was acting president for only one hour and twenty-five minutes.
Nonetheless, the moment was celebrated by the White House. Press Secretary Jen Psaki reported that Harris worked from her office in the West Wing while she was serving as acting president, and then later traveled to Ohio after Biden was done with the procedure. Psaki made sure to note that Kamala made “history every day” in the job.
“Today was certainly another chapter in that history I think that will be noted for women, young girls across the country,” the press secretary added.
