WASHINGTON D.C April 14, 2026 – U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) announced Tuesday that she has co-sponsored legislation with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to create a bipartisan commission tasked with determining whether President Donald Trump is physically, mentally, or otherwise fit to discharge the powers and duties of the presidency.
The bill, formally titled the “Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of the Office Act,” was introduced in the 119th Congress, 2nd Session. It seeks to operationalize Section 4 of the 25th Amendment by establishing an independent 17-member panel that would assess presidential capacity and recommend invocation of the amendment if necessary.
In a post on X, Rep. Stansbury wrote: “Today I joined @RepRaskin in introducing a 25th Amendment bill to create a bipartisan commission to determine if the President is fit to serve—due to physical, mental, or other conditions. It’s time to act.”
The legislation features a prominent “FILED” stamp on its official graphic and is styled as H.R. [bill number pending full assignment]. It is described as a reintroduction of similar measures previously advanced by Raskin, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee.
The move comes amid heightened Democratic concerns about the current administration’s leadership, including questions surrounding cognitive fitness and recent foreign policy decisions. Supporters argue the commission would provide a non-partisan mechanism to safeguard constitutional governance, while critics have dismissed the effort as politically motivated.
Several other Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors, though the bill faces long odds in a Republican-controlled House.
The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, allows for the temporary transfer of presidential power in cases of incapacity. Section 4 enables the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet—or such a body as Congress may designate—to declare the President unable to discharge his duties.
This latest push marks the latest chapter in ongoing congressional debates over presidential fitness that have spanned multiple administrations.
About The Author
