Twelfth amendment definition, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1804, providing for election of the president and vice president by the electoral college: should there be no majority vote for one person, the House of Representatives (one vote per state) chooses the president and the Senate the vice president. Section 1—The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. Passed by Congress August 27, 1962.
", https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution&oldid=7063306, Amendments to the United States Constitution, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, Who had the power to say a President was unable to do his job, Whether the Vice President would actually become President if he had to take over, or would just be "Acting President" (someone who did the President's job, but never got the title of "President"), Who would take the Vice President's job if he died, resigned, could not do his job, or had to take over for the President, How (or who) in Congress should decide who would take over if neither the President or the Vice President could do the President's job, A majority of "the principal officers of the executive departments" (the, "Such other body as Congress may by law provide" (some other group that Congress chooses).
For example, during his Presidency, Woodrow Wilson had a stroke. [22], On October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned.
It’s a meaty amendment, dealing with some pretty weighty topics. [25], However, Reagan did not want to invoke Section 3 of the 25th Amendment. "[4], Tyler took the Presidential Oath, moved into the White House, and took over all of the old President's powers. This is all the Constitution says about this subject.
Ratified January 23, 1964. Bush, did not invoke Section 4, because he was on an airplane returning from Texas. The National Constitution is a private nonprofit. As of 2020, Section 4 has never been invoked, however there was at least one occasion where the use of Section 4 was considered and another where its non-use came under substantial criticism. [19], Section 4 is the only part of the Amendment that has never been used. Bush. It says that if a President is removed from office, dies, or resigns, the Vice President immediately becomes President (not "Acting President"). [22] On December 10, 1974, the Senate confirmed Rockefeller with a vote of 90–7.
Reagan was shot and needed immediate surgery, so he could not invoke Section 3 to give power to his Vice President. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
[19], Section 3 says that a President can declare themselves "unable to discharge the powers and duties of their office" (unable to do their job). Hoyt, Austin (Executive Producer) (1998). [22] Vice President Gerald Ford became President as soon as Nixon resigned. Section 2.
The Interactive Constitution is available as a free app on your mobile device. This page was last changed on 11 August 2020, at 00:21. These include: The definition of citizenship The obligation of the states to uphold the privileges and immunities of United States citizens […] The President can take back the Presidency at any time by sending letters to the President pro tempore and the Speaker of the House, saying he or she is able to discharge the powers and duties of the Presidency again. He was also very firm in his wish not to create a precedent binding his successor. [8] For example, there was no Vice President for nearly four years after Franklin D. Roosevelt died.[8]. Members of Congress suggested two different amendments to fill in the details missing from Clause 6. [25], Two letters were created. 218 Howard Baker replaced him.[28]p. The 24th Amendment Ended the Poll Tax January 23, 1964 Many Southern states adopted a poll tax in the late 1800s. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President. "[5] A precedent is a rule or law that might be followed in the future if a similar situation came up again. Coauthor of, 43 Questions About Politics (Mostly in the United States) Compiled from Britannica’s Quizzes. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was murdered. [19], Section 1 made the "Tyler Precedent" a law.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment was adopted as a response to policies adopted in various Southern states after the ending of post-Civil War Reconstruction (1865–77) to limit the political participation of African Americans. [24], When Gerald Ford became President after Richard Nixon resigned, the Vice Presidency became vacant.
[23] According to Section 2, more than 50% of each House of Congress had to approve Ford as Vice President. Before this, Representative John Williams had suggested that the Vice President should become Acting President if the President died. Get the National Constitution Center’s weekly roundup of constitutional news and debate. [19], As with all Constitutional amendments proposed by the Congress, the Twenty-fifth Amendment had to be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50). Eventually, both Houses of Congress passed a resolution saying that Tyler was the tenth President of the United States. President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, before the House could vote on whether to impeach him for crimes related to the Watergate scandal. The Supreme Court reasoned that voting rights are conferred by the states and that the states may determine voter eligibility as they see fit, save for conflicts with the Fifteenth Amendment (respecting race) and the Nineteenth Amendment (respecting sex). The Vice President will do the President's job until he gets better (if he is just sick or disabled), or until the next Presidential election (if the President resigned or is dead). [28]p.197, However, since Reagan did not specifically mention Section 3 and say he could not do his job as President, he did not officially invoke the 25th Amendment. The Amendment was ratified by the states and became part of the U.S. Constitution on February 10, 1967.
He needed a colonoscopy, a test of the colon, and would be getting anesthesia.
[6][7] Because of this, no one took over the Presidency, even though Wilson could not do the job at that time. The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution says that if the President becomes unable to do their job, the Vice President becomes the President.
This can happen for just a little while, if the President is just sick or disabled for a short time. He was sworn into office later on December 19, 1974, before the Senate.[22].
Reagan was 'inattentive, inept,' and 'lazy,' and Baker should be prepared to invoke the 25th Amendment to [take away] his duties.[34]. 24th Amendment; 24th Amendment Primary tabs. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! [25] The second said that Reagan knew about Section 3, and did not think it applied to his situation, but still wanted Bush to take over during his surgery.
In the meantime, the Vice President is still Acting President. During the civil rights era of the 1950s, particularly following the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, such policies increasingly were seen as barriers to voting rights, particularly for African Americans and the poor. His Vice President, George H.W. Please support our educational mission of increasing awareness and understanding of the U.S. Constitution. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Before the 25th Amendment, the office of Vice President had been empty eighteen times because the Vice President died, resigned, or had to take over for the President.
[14] It was proposed in 1963 by Senator Kenneth Keating of New York,[15]p. 345 and supported by Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver.[15]p. [30], On July 21, 2007, President Bush again invoked Section 3 so he could have another colonoscopy.