succession_successor_scrutinize

According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the Senatepresident pro tempore1 was next in line after thevice president to succeed to the presidency, followed by the Speaker ofthe House.

In 1886, however, Congress changed the order of presidentialsuccession, replacing the president pro tempore and the Speaker with thecabinet officers. Proponents of this change argued that the congressionalleaders lacked executive experience, and none had served as president,while six former secretaries of state had later been elected to thatoffice.

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, signed by President HarryTruman, changed the order again to what it is today. The cabinet membersare ordered in the line of succession according to the date their officeswere established.

Prior to the ratification of the 25th Amendment in 1967,there was no provision for filling a vacancy in the vice presidency. Whena president died in office, the vice president succeeded him, and the vicepresidency then remained vacant. The first vice president to take officeunder the new procedure was Gerald Ford, who was nominated by Nixon onOct. 12, 1973, and confirmed by Congress the following Dec. 6.

The Vice President Joseph Biden

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

President pro tempore of the Senate1 Patrick Leahy

Secretary of State John Kerry

Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew

Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter

Attorney General Loretta Lynch

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez

Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro

Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx

Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson

1. The president pro tempore presides overthe Senate when the vice president is absent. The president pro tempore iselected by the Senate, but by tradition the position is held by the seniormember of the majority party.

See also:

Powers of the Government

U.S. Constitution

The Senate

The House

Cabinet Members

Executive Departments