Civics lesson

The Speaker of the House will Never be President

Or more accurately, it’s highly unlikely that the Speaker (3rd in line) will become President

Image created by Jacquelyn Lynn using MockupShots

As the GOP squabbles over choosing the next Speaker of the House and the pundits wring their hands about this person being third in line for the Presidency, let’s take a practical look at why that’s not a particularly important consideration.

If the President is for any reason unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, the line of succession goes like this:

1. Vice President
2. Speaker of the House
3. President Pro Tempore of the Senate
4. Secretary of State
5. Secretary of the Treasury
6. Secretary of Defense
7. Attorney General
8. Secretary of the Interior
9. Secretary of Agriculture
10. Secretary of Commerce
11. Secretary of Labor
12. Secretary of Health and Human Services
13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development