Biden transfers power to Harris during colonoscopy, full medical report due Friday afternoon
White House to publicly share a written summary of Biden’s physical later Friday afternoon
November 19, 2021 10:26am
Updated: November 19, 2021 3:56pm
President Biden on Friday will transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris while he is under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy as part of his annual physical, according to the White House.
"The Vice President will work from her office in the West Wing during this time," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
The transfer marks the first time a woman has been acting U.S. president.
The White House said it will publicly share a written summary of Biden’s physical later Friday afternoon, according to CNBC.
The checkup is taking place Friday morning at Walter Reed Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland.
Presidential power has been transferred to the vice president before, when President George W. Bush had colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007, and the transfer adheres to the process laid out in the Constitution, Psaki also said.
Biden, who turns 79 on Saturday, is the oldest person to take office as president in U.S. history. Although speculation has persisted about whether he will run for re-election in 2024, he has said he expects to seek a second term alongside Harris, Reuters reports.
