![]() Section 2 states that in the event of a vice-presidential vacancy, the president will nominate a vice president who will be confirmed by a majority Congressional vote. Section 1 states that if the president dies or resigns, the vice president shall become president. The amendment has the following four sections: President Johnson signed the 25th Amendment into law on February 23, 1967. ![]() The 25th amendment was ratified on February 10, 1967. On July 6, Congress passed a joint resolution and forwarded it to the states for ratification. By April, the House and Senate had approved their own versions and a committee created to resolve their differences. On January 1, 1965, less than two years after the assassination of Kennedy, joint resolutions were introduced in the House and Senate recommending a succession amendment. Johnson had also been injured and, if so, who would take their places in the line of succession. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and there was confusion about whether Vice President Lyndon B. The need for a succession amendment came to light when President John F. The letter wasn’t legal, however, and although Nixon became acting president when Eisenhower had a heart attack in 1955 and again when he had surgery in 1956, Nixon was never sworn in as president during Eisenhower’s terms. Eisenhower identified Nixon as the person who should determine his inability to perform his duties. Nixon instructing him on what to do if he was incapacitated. Eisenhower wrote a confidential letter to Vice President Richard M. When his Cabinet suggested the vice president take over, Wilson’s wife Edith and his doctor, Cary Grayson, conspired to keep his condition a secret from both Congress and the public, leaving the United States without a competent leader.Īfter suffering heart problems and a mild stroke, President Dwight D. In 1919, after having a series of strokes and ignoring warning signs of ill-health and neurological problems, President Woodrow Wilson had a massive stroke from which he never recovered during his presidency. Despite some controversy, Congress eventually confirmed Tyler’s presidency. He moved into the White House, had himself sworn in as president and assumed full presidential powers, including giving an Inaugural Address. Harrison’s cabinet gave Tyler the title, “Vice President Acting President,” but Tyler wanted more. ![]() This ambiguity led to confusion, ambiguity and in some cases, deceit.įor instance, in 1841, President William Harrison became the first president to die in office vice president John Tyler succeeded him. Until the 25th Amendment, each administration came up with its own plan to handle presidential and vice-presidential vacancies and reinstatement. Succession Confusion Before the 25th Amendment Whether all these changes were done in the best interest of American citizens, or to take advantage of a crisis and control who ruled the White House, is still a matter of debate. In 1947, Congress reinstated the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore to the line of succession ahead of the president’s cabinet members. In 1943, the 20th Amendment cleared the way for the vice-president elect to become president if the president-elect died or was debilitated. In 1886, Congress removed the President Pro Tempore and the House Majority Leader from the line of succession and replaced them with members of the presidential cabinet in order of rank, beginning with the Secretary of State. In February 1792, Congress passed the Presidential Succession Act, placing the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in the line of succession. It only said that Congress could declare, “what Officer shall then act as President.” The Constitution also didn’t indicate who would assume the vice-presidency if the vice president became president, died or was debilitated. READ MORE: US Presidents Who Became Ill or Incapacitated While in Office Presidential Succession Act In addition, it didn’t specify if an acting president should take over the “Office of the President” or only perform presidential duties until the president returned or a qualified replacement was found. ![]() The original Constitution allowed for the vice president to become acting president if the president died, resigned or became debilitated, but it didn’t state who had the power to declare the president unfit to serve or prevent the president from returning to office.
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