The U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 outline the presidential order of succession if a U.S. president cannot carry out the duties of the office due to incapacitation, death, resignation, inability to hold office, or removal from office. The line of succession of cabinet officers is in the order of their agencies’ creation. The order of succession is as follows:
- Vice President
- Speaker of the House
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Defense
- Attorney General
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Secretary of Homeland Security
The line of succession specifies that the office passes to the vice president first, and if the vice presidency is simultaneously vacant, or if the vice president is also incapacitated, the powers and duties of the presidency pass to the speaker of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate, and then Cabinet secretaries, depending on eligibility.
