The line of succession for the President of the United States is outlined in the U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. The order of succession is as follows:
- Vice President
- Speaker of the House of Representatives
- 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
If the President is unable to carry out the duties of the office due to incapacitation, death, resignation, inability to hold office, or removal from office, the responsibilities are passed to the next person in the line of succession. The line of succession of cabinet officers is in the order of their agencies’ creation. The U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 mention the presidential line of succession in several places.
