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Order of Presidential Succession
In the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the president pro tempore was next in line after the vice president to succeed to the presidency. Truman's 1947 proposal reversed this order, putting the Speaker of the House ahead of the president pro tempore.
In 1886 Congress changed the order of presidential succession, replacing the president pro tempore and the Speaker of the House with the cabinet officers. Proponents of this change argued that the congressional leaders lacked executive experience, and none had served as president, while six former secretaries of state had been elected to that office.
The cabinet members are ordered in the line of succession according to the date their offices were established.
Prior to the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified on Feb.10, 1967, there was no provision for filling a vacancy in the vice presidency. When a president died in office, the vice president succeeded him. The vice presidency then remained vacant. - The Vice President Richard Cheney
- Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
- President pro tempore of the Senate1 Robert Byrd
- Secretary of State Colin Powell
- Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill
- Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
- Attorney General John Ashcroft
- Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton
- Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman
- Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans
- Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
- Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Melquiades Rafael Martinez
- Secretary of Transportation Norman Yoshiro Mineta
- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
- Secretary of Education Roderick Paige
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi
NOTE: An official cannot succeed to the Presidency unless that person meets the Constitutional requirements.
1. The president pro tempore presides over the Senate when the vice president is absent. By tradition the position is held by the senior member of the majority party.
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History
