The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Amendment XXV (the Twenty-fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution was ratified on February 10, 1967 and provides more details regarding the succession of presidents. It reads as follows:

Table of contents
1 Text of Amendment
2 Processes established by 25th amendment
3 Invocations of 25th amendment
4 See also
5 External links

Text of Amendment

Section 1.
In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2.
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3.
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

Processes established by 25th amendment

  1. Filling vacancy in office of Vice President.
  2. The Vice President discharging the powers and duties of the presidency in case of presidential incapacity.

Invocations of 25th amendment

To date, the 25th amendment has been utilized four times:
  1. On October 12, 1973, when President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to succeed Spiro Agnew as Vice President. Ford was confirmed by Congress on December 6 of that year.
  2. On August 20, 1974, when President Gerald Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller to succeed him following Ford's scendancy to the office of President. Rockefeller was confirmed by Congress on December 19 of that year.
  3. On July 13, 1985, when President Ronald Reagan declared himself incapacitated while undergoing surgery to remove cancerous polyps from his colon. Vice President George Bush acted as President until Reagan resumed "the powers and duties of the office" later that day. See also Reagan Transfer of Power.
  4. On June 29, 2002, when President George W. Bush declared himself incapacitated while undergoing a colonoscopy. Vice President Richard Cheney acted as President until Bush resumed presidential authority later that day. See also Bush Transfer of Power.

See also

External links










24th Amendment
Amendments

United States Constitution		
26th Amendment