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Kamala Harris will be the first female U.S. President for a few hours while Joe Biden undergoes a routine colonoscopy, according to published reports.
Vice President Harris, who is of Indian descent, will serve as acting president while Biden is under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy, the White House announced 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,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “The Vice President will work from her office in the West Wing during this time.”
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Vice President Harris will become president if Biden dies on the table during the procedure. If Harris is somehow incapacitated, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assumes the powers and duties of the president.
During a colonoscopy procedure, a small flexible tube with a camera is passed through the anus into the rectum, the large intestine and the small intestine.
The procedure is done to visualize any lesions, ulcers, polyps and/or to take a biopsy by removal of suspected cancerous lesions.
Biden, 79, reportedly suffers from loose bowels and excessive flatulence (anal incontinence).
