U.S. Presidential line of succession

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If President of the United States died, resigned of being removed from office before his or her term ended, Vice President will assume office until end of President's term. If V.P. cannon do it or at this time his position is empty, next persons in line of succession are eligible to become new President.

According first law about succession (in 1792) second in line, behind V.P., was president pro tempore of the United States Senate, followed by Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 1968, during President Andrew Johnson impeachment trial president pro tempore Benjamin Wade nearly became new president (Johnson, who became President after Abraham Lincoln death, had no V.P.), but Johnson was found not guilty by single vote. Chief Justice and others member of the Supreme Court were excluded.

In 1886, after death of V.P. Thomas Hendricks, Congress passed a new law, excluded President pro tempore and Speaker from line. New person just behind V.P. were Secretary of State, followed by other Cabinet members.

The most recent law about line of succession was passed in 1947. This is current line of succession:

  1. Vice President (Dick Cheney)
  2. Speaker of the House (Dennis Hastert until January 2007, when speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi will took office)
  3. President pro tempore of the Senate (Ted Stevens until January 2007, when president-elect Robert Byrd will took office)
  4. Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice)
  5. Secretary of the Treasury (Henry M. Paulson)
  6. Secretary of Defense (Donald Rumsfeld, who still serving until confirmation of his designated successor Robert Gates by Senate)
  7. U.S. Attorney General (Alberto Gonzales)
  8. Secretary of the Interior (Dirk Kempthorne)
  9. Secretary of Agriculture (Mike Johanns)
  10. Secretary of Commerce (Carlos Gutierrez - excluded because he in a naturalized citizen)
  11. Secretary of Labor (Elaine Chao - excluded under the same reason as Gutierrez)
  12. Secretary of Health and Human Services (Mike Leavitt)
  13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Alphonso Jackson)
  14. Secretary of Transportion (Mary Peters)
  15. Secretary of Energy (Samuel W. Bodman)
  16. Secretary of Education (Margaret Spellings)
  17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Jim Nicholson)

Secretary of Homeland Secutiry (Michael Chertoff) and other cabinet-level officials (Chief of the White Hose Staff, Drug Czar, Ambassador to the UN) are excluded, because their offices are ineligible for succession.

As of 2006 no one but Vice Presidents succeeded Presidency.

Person, who succeeded Presidency is not the same as Acting President of the United States, who acts when President is incicapated, but is in office.