Libertyville HS
• Constitution
– Article II, Section 1,
paragraph 6 (as amended)
• 20th Amendment
– If president dies before
taking office, VP takes over
as president
• 25th Amendment
– VP to become pres if…
• Pres dead, resignation
• Pres incapable of serving
– Vacancy in VP filled by app’t
by the new President
(confirmed by both
chambers w/ majority vote)
• Federal Laws
– Presidential Succession Act of
1792 (Pres Pro Temp, then
Speaker, then Cabinet
member)
– Presidential Succession Act of
1947 (Flip flopped Speaker &
Pres pro temp)
• Never an acting officer; only
appointed & confirmed by US
senate (& qualified to be
president)
• Serve as pres until disability
removed or new Pres elected
• Vice President Joe Biden
• Speaker John Boehner
• President Pro Tempore
Patrick Leahy
• Secretary of State John
Kerry
• Secretary of the Treasury
Jack Lew
• Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates
• Attorney General Eric
Holder
• Secretary of Interior Sally
Jewell (born in Great Britain)
• Secretary of Agriculture Tom
Vilsack
• Secretary of Commerce Penny
Pritzker
• Secretary of Labor Thomas
Perez
• Secretary of Health and
Human Services Kathleen
Sebelius
• Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development Shaun
Donovan
• Secretary of Transportation
Ray LaHood
• Secretary of Energy Ernest
Moniz
• Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan
• Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Eric Shinseki
• Secretary of Homeland
Rand Beers (acting)
• President and all successors
are never in the same place
at the same time
• One eligible successor, one
house member from each
party, and one senator from
each party are randomly
selected and are held
separate and apart from all
others
• Purpose: to assure
succession of government in
event of death of everyone
• Partisan difference
between Executive,
Legislative branch
leadership
• One DC nuke away from
killing all successors
• Swine flu / viral / biological
attack could cause mass
vacancies in DC
• 25th Amendment makes all
of this unnecessary!
Left, Speaker; Right, Pres. Pro Temp = 25th Am