2041 Suspension of the United States Constitution

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The **2041 Suspension of the United States Constitution** occurred on November 11, 2041 at the instruction of the Committee of National Renewal, and was a significant political event in American history. The suspension of the constitution ended the 2041 United States Constitutional Crisis, and allowed the Committee of National Renewal to transfer full executive powers to itself, cementing the military leadership of President Mark Milley.

Following 252 years of governance under the first constitution of the United States of America, the Committee of National Renewal under the leadership of President Mark Milley suspended the constitution within months of taking power, after having previously governed unconstitutionally with the backing of the Supreme Court and the armed forces. Alongside the suspension of the constitution, the government dissolved both the Republican and Democratic parties, and banned them from forming again under the same structure. The move was highly controversial and led to the emergence of a coalition of anti-government political parties across the country.

## History

Following the tied results of the 2040 presidential election, political deadlock meant that no individual was able to be elected as president or vice president by either the electoral college or the joint chambers of Congress in a subsequent aborted contingent election. During the contingent election, rioters and far right paramilitary members took control of Capitol Hill and held members of Congress hostage, necessitating the declaration of martial law in Washington D.C. and the use of military force to recapture the legislative building. Despite having rescued members of Congress, the armed forces demanded the relocation of congress-people to secret military bases across the country, effectively suspending the legislative branch's ability to function. With Congress unable to sit, a further contingent election became impossible, and on January 20, 2041, Senate president pro tempore Robert Menendez became acting president with the full powers of the presidency. During Menendez's short presidency, his administration clashed repeatedly with the armed forces over security measures and came under pressure as riots and local uprisings became common features of American politics.

In the morning of September 6, 2041, military governors across the 50 states and Washington D.C. began moving military assets across the country to seize control over key parts of national infrastructure, such as interstate motorways, television networks, social media companies, and internet providers. At the same time, General Mark Milley travelled to the White House in Washington D.C. to meet with President Robert Menendez; during the meeting, Milley fruitlessly attempted to persuade Menendez to voluntarily resign his office, before ordering the forceful consolidation of army control over the building. In the ensuing conflict, Menendez was killed by a stray bullet whilst attempting to flee the White House, effectively toppling the democratic government of the United States. Following the death of President Menendez, acting Chief Justice Amy Barrett inaugurated General Milley to the office of president of the United States of America at 3:27pm EST, granting the military full executive control over the nation. At 5:45pm EST, General Mark Milley held a televised press conference announcing that President Robert Menendez had tendered his resignation, and that the armed forces would be forming a temporary military-civilian government for the remaining duration of the 2041-45 presidential term; during the coup process, Menendez's death was hidden from the general public, until November 19, 2041 when it was claimed that Menendez had died of a heart attack. With the announcement of the Committee of National Renewal on September 6, 2041, President Mark Milley dismissed all members of the government and began to assemble his own administration. On September 7, 2041, President Milley announced that former vice president Mike Pence would be assuming office as vice president once again as part of the new government, conferring a sense of legitimacy upon the new regime. In response, large protests in major Democratic-leaning cities across the countries erupted as leading left-wing figures branded the takeover as a partisan coup to subvert an electoral mandate from the population; many of these protests were brutally surprised by members of the armed forces, only further encouraging further protests across the country. In response to the protests of civilians, total martial law was furthered with the implementation of curfews, checkpoints, and the requirement for personal identification cards.

## Suspension

On November 11, 2041, President Milley announced that the United States constitution would be temporarily suspended and a new constitution written in its place; alongside the suspension of the constitution, the twin major political parties were officially prohibited, with membership becoming a civil offence. In place of the Democratic party, the protest driven Take Back America movement reformed into the Progressive party led by former president Alexandria Raines and chaired by former vice president Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whilst the Republican party remnants fractured between the pro-military Patriotic party led by Elise Stefanik, and the libertarian Freedom party led by Liz Cheney. In place of the constitution, the government granted President Mark Milley the power to rule by decree in his capacity as the head of the governing Committee of National Renewal; as a result of the suspension, the Committee of National Renewal became increasingly powerful as the President Milley transferred power from his office to the CNR.

## Reactions

### Domestic

* Former president Alexandria Raines described the move as the "desecration of the spirit of freedom that ten generations of forbearers fought for", and joined with former vice president Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to found the Progressive party
* Patriotic party leader Elise Stefanik publicly praised President Milley for "taking the harsh action to restore public order" and denounced opponents of the measure as being "traitors"
* Freedom party leader Liz Cheney praised the suspension of the constitution, but expressed concern at the continuation of martial law in America

### International

* Avalonia - Väldeminister Ada Nilsen condemned the suspension as a "violation of the rule of law" and described President Milley as a "tyrant"
* Fox Dynasty - Vice President Damien Rightly expressed indifference to "the internal affairs of the American state", but urged President Milley to continue upholding America's international obligations
* Morra - Foreign secretary Markus Quade described the move as "concerning" and urged a swift restoration of constitutional order
* Pindorama - Empress Marisa Belacqua expressed concern at the move, but pledged to retain cooperation with the American government
* United Kingdom - Prime minister Angela Rayner described the move as a "dangerous suspension of civil liberty, of democracy, and of freedom in the leading country of the free world"

## See Also

* 2041 United States Constitutional Crisis
* 2041 United States Coup d'état