[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 116th Congress]
[116th Congress]
[House Document 115-177]
[The United States Constitution]
[Pages 119-122]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 119]]

                      AMENDMENT XXV.\16\



Sec. 252. Presidential succession and 
inability.

  Section 1.  In case of the removal of the President from office or of 
his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
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  \16\ The 25th amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States was proposed to the legislatures of the several States by the 
89th Congress on July 7, 1965, and was declared by the Administrator of 
General Services, in a proclamation dated February 23, 1967, to have 
been ratified by the legislatures of 39 of the 50 States. The dates of 
these ratifications were: Nebraska, July 12, 1965; Wisconsin, July 13, 
1965; Oklahoma, July 16, 1965; Massachusetts, August 9, 1965; 
Pennsylvania, August 18, 1965; Kentucky, September 15, 1965; Arizona, 
September 22, 1965; Michigan, October 5, 1965; Indiana, October 20, 
1965; California, October 21, 1965; Arkansas, November 4, 1965; New 
Jersey, November 29, 1965; Delaware, December 7, 1965; Utah, January 17, 
1966; West Virginia, January 20, 1966; Maine, January 24, 1966; Rhode 
Island, January 28, 1966; Colorado, February 3, 1966; New Mexico, 
February 3, 1966; Kansas, February 8, 1966; Vermont, February 10, 1966; 
Alaska, February 18, 1966; Idaho, March 2, 1966; Hawaii, March 3, 1966; 
Virginia, March 8, 1966; Mississippi, March 10, 1966; New York, March 
14, 1966; Maryland, March 23, 1966; Missouri, March 30, 1966; New 
Hampshire, June 13, 1966; Louisiana, July 5, 1966; Tennessee, January 
12, 1967; Wyoming, January 25, 1967; Iowa, January 26, 1967; Washington, 
January 26, 1967; Oregon, February 2, 1967; Minnesota, February 10, 
1967; Nevada, February 10, 1967. Ratification was completed February 10, 
1967. The amendment was subsequently ratified by Connecticut, February 
14, 1967; Montana, February 15, 1967; South Dakota, March 6, 1967; Ohio, 
March 7, 1967; Alabama, March 14, 1967; North Carolina, March 22, 1967; 
Illinois, March 22, 1967; Texas, April 25, 1967; Florida, May 25, 1967.
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[[Page 120]]



Sec. 253. Confirmation by House and Senate of 
nominee to fill vice presidential vacancy.

  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.




Sec. 254. President's declaration of 
disability.

  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.




Sec. 255. Determination of Presidential inability 
and 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.



[[Page 121]]

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.

  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


[[Page 122]]

confirmation of the nominee for Vice President, following the vote on 
confirmation by the House.


Sec. 256. Instances in which House and Senate have 
confirmed nominee as Vice President; temporary incapacity of 
President.

  Congress  has twice performed its responsibility under section two of 
the 25th amendment. On October 13, 1973, the Speaker laid before the 
House a message from President Nixon transmitting his nomination of 
Gerald R. Ford, Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, to be 
Vice President of the United States, Vice President Agnew having 
resigned on October 10, 1973. The Speaker referred the nomination to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, which under rule X has jurisdiction over 
matters relating to Presidential succession (Precedents (Wickham), ch. 
3, Sec. 6.6). The nomination of Mr. Ford to be Vice President was 
confirmed by the Senate on November 27, 1973 (p. 38225) and by the House 
on December 6, 1973 (p. 39900), and Vice President Ford was sworn in in 
the Chamber of the House of Representatives on December 6 (p. 39925). 
Subsequently, President Nixon resigned from office by delivering his 
written resignation to the Office of the Secretary of State, pursuant to 
3 U.S.C. 20, on August 9, 1974. Pursuant to section one of the 25th 
amendment, Vice President Ford became President, and was sworn in in the 
East Room at the White House. He nominated Nelson A. Rockefeller to be 
Vice President, which nomination was received in the House of 
Representatives and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on August 
20, 1974; the nomination was confirmed by the Senate on December 10, 
1974 (p. 38936) and by the House on December 19, 1974 (p. 41516), and 
Vice President Rockefeller was sworn in in the Senate Chamber on 
December 19, 1974 (p. 41181). On both instances, the House received the 
message from the Senate, announcing that body's





  The Chair laid before the House communications from the President 
pursuant to section three of this amendment as follows: First, before 
undergoing sedation for a medical procedure, declaring his impending 
inability to discharge the constitutional powers and duties of the 
Office of President and advising that the Vice President would discharge 
those responsibilities as Acting President until the President declared 
his ability to resume that role; and second (after recovering from the 
sedation and the medical procedure) declaring his ability to resume the 
discharge of the constitutional powers and duties of the Office of 
President, and advising that he was doing so immediately (July 15, 1985, 
p. 18955; July 8, 2002, pp. 12089, 12090; July 23, 2007, p. 20036).