Kamala Harris To Become US President Briefly As Joe Biden Undergoes Colonoscopy

Washington: President Joe Biden will briefly transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday when he undergoes a “routine colonoscopy” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the White House said. “President Biden will transfer power to the vice president for the brief period of time when he is under anesthesia. The Vice President will work from her office in the West Wing during this time,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.Also Read – Mumbai Local Train: Western Railway Makes Big Announcement, to Run 8 More AC Locals from Nov 22

Biden, 78, had his last full exam in December 2019, when doctors found the former vice president to be “healthy, vigorous” and “fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency,” according to a doctor’s report at the time. Biden is the oldest person to serve as president, and interest in his health has been high since he declared his candidacy for the White House in 2019. Also Read – 7 Outlets in Indore’s Sarafa Bazar Sealed After 15 Staffers Miss COVID Vaccine Second Dose

“As was the case when President George W. Bush had the same procedure in 2002 and 2007, and following the process set out in the Constitution, President Biden will transfer power to the Vice President for the brief period of time when he is under anesthesia,” she said. “The Vice President will work from her office in the West Wing during this time.” Also Read – India Vs New Zealand: Martin Guptill Overtakes Virat Kohli To Become The Leading Run Getter In T20 Internationals

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who has been Biden’s primary care physician since 2009, wrote in a three-page note that the then-presidential candidate was in overall good shape.

In that report, O’Connor said that since 2003, Biden has had episodes of atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat that’s potentially serious but treatable. At the time, O’Connor cited a list of tests that showed Biden’s heart was functioning normally and his only needed care was a blood thinner to prevent the most worrisome risk, blood clots or stroke.

Biden had a brush with death in 1988, requiring surgery to repair two brain aneurysms, weak bulges in arteries, one of them leaking. Biden has never had a recurrence, his doctor said, citing a test in 2014 that examined his arteries.

Pursuant to the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, Biden will sign a letter to the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives saying he is unable to discharge his duties while under anesthesia, making Harris the acting president, and will send them another letter upon the conclusion of the procedure to resume his duties.