Since 126 House Republicans signed off on outgoing President Donald Trump’s attempts to subvert democracy to stay in power, a House Democrat is now urging Democratic House leaders to use the 14th Amendment to prevent them from being seated in the next Congress.

Trump’s latest effort to overturn the election results failed miserably on Friday when all nine Justices rejected Texas’ long-shot lawsuit demanding the high court disenfranchise voters in four states and declare Trump the winner of the 2020 Election.

Not only did over a dozen Republican state attorneys general join the lawsuit, 126 Republicans in the House signed off on it as well, therefore they all sought to overthrow democracy and the Constitution in a betrayal of our country that constitutes treason.

Well, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) has a remedy to punish all 126 of those Republicans and he urged Democratic House leaders to invoke it.

It turns out that Section III of the 14th Amendment, which was passed by Congress and ratified just after the Civil War, makes it clear that such lawmakers can’t hold office.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

Pascrell issued a statement to House leaders publicly asking them to exercise this clause of the Constitution.

“Stated simply, men and women who would act to tear the United States government apart cannot serve as Members of the Congress,” Pascrell wrote. “These lawsuits seeking to obliterate public confidence in our democratic system by invalidating the clear results of the 2020 presidential election undoubtedly attack the text and spirit of the Constitution, which each Member swears to support and defend. Consequently, I call on you to exercise the power of your offices to evaluate steps you can take to address these constitutional violations this Congress and, if possible, refuse to seat in the 117th Congress any Members-elect seeking to make Donald Trump an unelected dictator.”

And he’s not wrong. These 126 Republicans literally sought to overthrow the legally and rightfully elected next President of the United States before he even takes office. They literally tried to undermine our democracy and election process by asking the Supreme Court to invalidate tens of millions of votes and install Trump to a second term. That’s not only a violation of the Constitution, it’s a betrayal of the will of the people.

Every single one of these Republicans should be treated like traitors and prevented from being seated in Congress. This would be a real consequence of their behavior and one they brought upon themselves.

Democrats should start playing hardball and invoke the clause. Because nobody should be able to get away with trying to execute a coup in the United States.

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