A woman at the helm of the United States of America had never been seen before. Yesterday the time had come: Vice-President Kamala Harris became head of state for just under an hour and a half. However, only provisionally.
As much as the United States has shaped Western culture over and over again, the United States of America is lagging behind many of its allies in one point: While Angela Merkel in Germany is waiting to leave office after 17 years, the oldest modern democracy has not yet had a woman on their tip. Now Kamala Harris was the first to hold the reins – and temporarily became the first US President.
The historic event came about because of a routine examination: President Joe Biden had undergone colon cancer screening on Friday and had to be anesthetized for the colonoscopy. While he was on the operating table, the Vice President took over the office temporarily and for a short time became the most powerful woman in the world. Afterwards, the “cheerful” president took office again while further routine investigations were carried out, the White House reported on Twitter.
Transfer of power as a routine
In a letter to Congress, Biden had announced the temporary handover: “In accordance with Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, I hereby inform you that I cannot exercise the powers and duties of the office as President of the USA and I delegate these powers and duties, “it says there. The constitutional amendment stipulates that the presidency can be temporarily transferred if the office cannot be carried out.
It is not unusual for this to happen. Biden’s predecessor George W. Bush had transferred his office several times to Vice Dick Cheney to undergo a colonoscopy like Biden. Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump is said not to have wanted that: In her book “I’ll Take Your Questions Now”, his former spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham implies that the then president kept a hospital visit secret in order not to transfer power to his vice-president Mike Pence have to.
Milestone for Kamala Harris
For Kamala Harris it was another milestone in her career. When she took office in January, she was already the first female person to hold the office of US Vice President, and she was also the first person with Afro-African and Asian roots in this office. Since Joe Biden, now 79, is also the oldest US president of all time, many expect that she could take his place instead of seeking re-election in 2024.
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Source From: Stern
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