The 25th amendment of the United States Constitution is directly linked to the country’s Commander-in-chief’s inability to serve the office. The constitutional provision is instated in situations where the American President is removed from office, resigns, dies, or is undergoing medical treatment.

The amendment was proposed in the United States Congress decades ago in the aftermath of former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. When passed, the legislation ensured the continuity of the American government.

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The 25th amendment attempts to cover all possible situations in cases linked to executive emergencies. It contains four separate sections — Presidential succession, Vice Presidential vacancy, President’s declaration of inability and declaration by Vice President and cabinet members of President’s inability.

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The amendment has been used multiple times since it was approved by the United States. This happened under the Presidencies of Richard Nixon, Ronald Regan, and George W. Bush. However, it has never been used in the situation of a President’s death.

United States President Joe Biden is scheduled to undergo a “routine colonoscopy” on Friday, briefly transferring Presidential powers to Vice President Kamala Harris, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced.

She said in a statement on Friday, “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”, according to reports from USA Today.

Before the 2020 elections, the 78-year-old, who is the oldest US president in history, had pledged to be “totally transparent” about all aspects of his health. Earlier this year, the White House had said that the results of his eventual checkup would be made public.