25th Amendment

The 25th Amendment is an Amendment to the United States Constitution which involves the Presidential Status of Presidents unable to fulfill their duties. It has been used several times on 24.

Day 2
The first instance was when members David Palmer's cabinet viewed him as mentally unstable, and therefore unfit to govern. In a video conference, Palmer presented a compelling argument to the contrary. When the vote was taken, it was a very close vote, coming down to the vote of the Secretary of State. In a difficult personal decision, he chose to vote that Palmer was unfit for duty, and Palmer was removed from office by a single vote. Vice President Jim Prescott, who then assumed the presidency, informed Palmer of his right to protest this decision before Congress.

During the subsequent hours before Palmer's removal was made public, Mike Novick asked Palmer to represent the country as head of state to a foreign official. Palmer reluctantly agreed to do so.

Several hours later, when it was revealed that the evidence against Palmer involved the Cyprus recording, which was fabricated, Prescott and the cabinet agreed to reverse their earlier decision. Prescott and the members of the cabinet who voted in favor of Palmer's removal all agreed to resign their positions as compensation for their perceived betrayal, however Palmer refused to accept their resignations. He did, however, ask for Mike Novick's resignation for his part in the incident.

Day 4
The second instance was when Air Force One was attacked and suffered an indirect hit. Many of those on board were killed, including the President's son, Kevin. President Keeler himself, however, survived, but was incapacitated, and it was not clear if he would survive. Consequently, the cabinet voted unanimously to appoint Charles Logan to the presidency.

Day 5
After Logan was arrested and the Attorney General began the process for removing him from power, it was stated by Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes that Hal Gardner would be sworn in shortly, presumably from 25th Amendmet proceedings.