Politcal process question

[tazber]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:33pm

This is for all you political folks out there. I was discussing what would happen if Bush ended up getting impeached over this e-mail scandal (i know he probably won't but it was a hypothetical discussion) and our converation turned to who would replace him.
I know the chain of command goes:
President
vice President
Majority Speaker

but who would become president after Pelosi?
Who is next in line for the throne, so to speak? Whos's 3rd in line?

Pal Joey? Anyone?

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:43pm

Okay, forgive my ignorance, but isn't Pelosi the Speaker? The Senate Majority leader is Reid, whom would probably be in after Pelosi in that case. Then that would be President, Vice, Speaker, Majority Leader. That's two from the Executive and two from the Legislature. So would the baton not then be passed on to the Judiciary, who would have to organize elections or some kind of Joint Session?

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:43pm

Ummm - is there some reason you cannot do a search on your own?

It is a pretty basic question.

# Office Current Officer
1 Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi
3 President pro tempore of the Senate Robert Carlyle Byrd
4 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
5 Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr.
6 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
7 Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
8 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
9 Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
-- Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez
(ineligible; not a natural-born citizen)†
-- Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
(ineligible; not a natural-born citizen)†
10 Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt
11 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
12 Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters
13 Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman
14 Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
15 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
16 Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff ††



Line of Successions Updated On: 4/14/07 at 05:43 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:45pm

You're right Linne. The chain is

Bush
Cheney
Pelosi (speaker of the house, not majoity leader)

my bad. Still, would Reid be next in line?

[Phantom23]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:45pm

The Presidential Line of Succession goes:

Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro temp of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attourney General
and then down through the rest of the cabinet secretaries.

And of course there are other rules, such as non-natural born citizens in these positions are inelligible.

edit: blast, beaten to it. Updated On: 4/14/07 at 05:45 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:46pm

thanks guys!

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 5:50pm

Just checked, and the Judiciary don't come into it because of the separation of powers etc.

All that's important, taz, is that you are no. 10,456,266th in the list, and I'll never be the President of the United States, as can't be.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 6:06pm

I'm 10,456,267th linnie

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 6:26pm

Did Judd Hirsch skip you again?

[MatthewAddison]

Posted: 4/14/07 at 7:42pm

"I'm 10,456,267th linnie"

You better start those sexual favors and black mail campaigns if you want to make it to the 10,000,000th spot before you die!

Posted: 4/14/07 at 10:02pm

But all that doesn't come into play if Bush is removed or steps down. The vice President becomes president and he appoints a new Vice President (panding confirmation by the Senate). It's not like everyone moves up one step. Pelosi would saty Speaker.

Now if BOTH the President and the VP were removed simultaneously, then Pelosi would be President and she would appoint a VP and the house would select a new Speaker. That long line would only become needed if a catastrophe wiped everyone out at once.