Friday, January 27, 2017

The 25th Amendment



U.S. Constitution

Amendment XXV

 

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.

Friday, January 20, 2017

The 45th President


Today, Inauguration Day, countless references will have been made to Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

To understand why President Trump is number 45, it is necessary to go back to the two terms of Grover Cleveland.  Cleveland was the only president who had non-consecutive terms of office.

Cleveland was first elected as the 22nd president, for a term from 1885 to 1889.  In the next election, where he again won the popular vote, he lost in the Electoral College to Benjamin Harrison, who became the 23rd president, from 1889 to 1893.  In the following election, Grover Cleveland won both the popular vote and the Electoral College and became the 24th president.  The second term ran from 1893 to 1897.

So, in fact, the United States has, including Donald J. Trump, only had 44 men who have been president.