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Order of Presidential Succession

he congressional leaders lacked executive experience, and none had served as president, while six former secretaries of state had later been elected to that office.

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, signed by President Harry Truman, changed the order again to what it is today. The cabinet members are ordered in the line of succession according to the date their offices were established.

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

The Vice President Richard Cheney

Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert

President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens

Secretary of State Colin Powell

Secretary of the Treasury John Snow

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 Yoshio Mineta

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham

Secretary of Education Roderick Paige

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi

Secretary of Homeland Security2 Tom Ridge

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.

2. May move to number 8 on the list pending legislation.

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