House Democrats are raising the possibility of using the 14th Amendment to expel Republican congress members who incited the U.S. Capitol insurrection that took place last week.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) are among the lawmakers pushing for the expulsions.
The NYT reports: “Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is the latest House Democrat to suggest invoking Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies elected officials who ‘have engaged in insurrection or rebellion’ against the United States. The clause was originally enacted to limit the influence of former Confederates in the Reconstruction era. It has been used occasionally since. Victor L. Berger, a member of the Socialist Party of America, was repeatedly prevented from taking his seat by a House resolution after winning election in 1919 because he had been convicted under the Espionage Act.”
