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Vice President of the United States

For a list of vice presidents, see List of vice presidents of the United States.

The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS)[8][9] is the second highest executive officer of the U.S. federal government after the president of the United States. The vice president ranks first in the presidential line of succession and is also the officer of the legislative branch, president of the Senate and the presiding officer of the Senate.[10][11]

Vice President of
the United States
Seal of the Vice President of the United States.svg
Seal of the Vice President of the United States
Flag of the Vice President of the United States.svg
Flag of the Vice President of the United States
Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Kamala Harris
since January 20, 2021
Style
Member of
ResidenceNumber One Observatory Circle
SeatWashington, D.C.
AppointerPresident of the United States
Electoral College
Term lengthFour years, no term limit
Constituting instrumentConstitution of the United States
FormationMarch 4, 1789
(235 years ago) (1789-03-04)[1][2][3]
First holderJohn Adams[4]
SuccessionFirst[5]
Unofficial namesVPOTUS,[6] VP, Veep[7]
Salary$284,600 (annually)
Websitewhitehouse.gov

Kamala Harris is the 49th and current vice president of the United States, in office since January 2021.[12]

Constitutional roles and duties

President and presiding officer of the United States Senate

Article I, Section 3, Clause 4, gives the vice president the title President of the Senate, authorizing the vice president to preside over the Senate. The vice president is responsible for maintaining order, allowing members to speak, and explain the Senate's rules and practices. This position also has the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote.

Presiding over impeachment trials

As the president of the Senate, the vice president may preside over impeachment trials, although the Constitution does not specifically require it. When the president is on trial, the constitution requires that the chief justice of the United States must preside.[13] No vice president has ever been impeached.

Presiding over electoral vote counts

The Twelfth Amendment allows the vice president, as the president of the Senate, receive the Electoral College votes and opens the sealed votes.[14] The votes are counted during a joint session of Congress every four years on January the 6th.[15]

Presidential advisor

In recent years, vice presidents have been viewed as important presidential advisors. Al Gore was an important adviser to President Bill Clinton on issues of foreign policy and the environment.

Congressional liaison

The vice president is seen as an important liaison between the presidential administration and Congress.

For example, Dick Cheney held weekly meetings in the Vice President's Room at the United States Capitol, Joe Biden played a key role in bipartisan budget negotiations, and Mike Pence often met with House and Senate Republicans. Kamala Harris played a key role in passing legislation during the 117th U.S. Congress.

National Security Council member

Since 1949, the vice president has legally been a member of the National Security Council. Modern vice presidents have also been a part of the president's daily intelligence briefings and participate in meetings in the Situation Room with the president.

Eligibility and requirements

Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the constitution states for a person to serve as vice president must:

  • be a natural-born citizen of the United States.
  • be at least thirty-five years old.
  • be a permanent resident in the United States for at least fourteen years.[16]

Election process

The vice president is elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term, along with the presidential candidate or the incumbent president as their running mate.[17] The presidential candidate or incumbent president must have at least 270 electoral college votes in order to win the election.[18]

Vice President-elect of the United States

 
Office of the Vice President-elect logo of Kamala Harris

The vice president-elect of the United States is the candidate who has won the United States presidential election along with the presidential candidate and is awaiting inauguration to become the vice president.

Inauguration

The president elect, vice president-elect, or incumbent president and vice president immediately began their four-year team on inauguration day every four years on January 20. The original inauguration date was held on March 4, but was later changed in 1933.

Presidential line of succession

 
Gerald Ford sworn in by Chief Justice Warren Burger on August 9, 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

The vice president ranks first in the presidential line of succession, if the president dies, resigns, or is impeached. Only eight vice presidents have succeeded the president in resignation or death such as John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson and Gerald Ford.

The speaker of the House ranks second in the presidential line of succession if the vice president dies, resigns or is impeached from office.

John C. Calhoun and Spiro Agnew are the only U.S. vice presidents to have resigned from office.

Office of the Vice President of the United States

The Office of the Vice President includes personnel staff who directly support or advise the vice president of the United States. It is primarily office is in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with offices for the vice president also in the West Wing of the White House, the United States Capitol, and in the vice president's official residence.

Travel and Transportation

 
Air Force Two, the vice presidential air plane carrying the vice president.

Although any U.S. Air Force aircraft the vice president is aboard is referred to as Air Force Two during the flight. In-country trips are typically handled with just one of the two planes, while overseas trips are handled with both.

Residence

 
Number One Observatory Circle, Washington D.C., the official residence of the vice president of the United States.

Number One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the vice president and the second family of the United States. It has been the official residence of every U.S. vice president since Nelson Rockefeller in 1974.

Protection

 
Vice President Kamala Harris surrounded by members of her family and Secret Service, as she walks the 59th presidential inauguration.

The United States Secret Service is in charge of protecting the vice president and the second family at all times. As part of their protection, the vice president, second spouse and immediate family members are given Secret Service codenames. The use of codenames are used due to security and safety reasons.

List of living former vice presidents of the United States

As of 2024, there are five living former vice presidents.

The most recent former vice president to die was Walter Mondale (1977–1981) on April 19, 2021 at the age of 93.

Vice President Of The United States Media

References

  1. ↑ "The conventions of nine states having adopted the Constitution, Congress, in September or October, 1788, passed a resolution in conformity with the opinions expressed by the Convention and appointed the first Wednesday in March of the ensuing year as the day, and the then seat of Congress as the place, 'for commencing proceedings under the Constitution.'

    "Both governments could not be understood to exist at the same time. The new government did not commence until the old government expired. It is apparent that the government did not commence on the Constitution's being ratified by the ninth state, for these ratifications were to be reported to Congress, whose continuing existence was recognized by the Convention, and who were requested to continue to exercise their powers for the purpose of bringing the new government into operation. In fact, Congress did continue to act as a government until it dissolved on the first of November by the successive disappearance of its members. It existed potentially until 2 March, the day preceding that on which the members of the new Congress were directed to assemble."Owings v. Speed, 18 U.S. (5 Wheat) 420, 422 (1820)
  2. ↑ Maier, Pauline (2010). Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787–1788. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 433. ISBN 978-0-684-86854-7.
  3. ↑ "March 4: A forgotten huge day in American history". Philadelphia: National Constitution Center. March 4, 2013. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ Smith, Page (1962). John Adams. Vol. Two 1784–1826. Garden City, New York: Doubleday. p. 744.
  5. ↑ Feerick, John. "Essays on Amendment XXV: Presidential Succession". The Heritage Guide to the Constitution. The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  6. ↑ "VPOTUS". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Veep". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Senate: About the Vice President (President of the Senate)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  9. ↑ "The Vice-Presidency". WHHA (en-US). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  10. ↑ "Order of presidential succession | USAGov". www.usa.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  11. ↑ "The Executive Branch". The White House. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  12. ↑ "Kamala Harris: The Vice President". The White House. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  13. ↑ Gerhardt, Michael J. "Essays on Article I: Trial of Impeachment". Heritage Guide to the Constitution. The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  14. ↑ Kuroda, Tadahisa. "Essays on Article II: Electoral College". The Heritage Guide to The Constitution. The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  15. ↑ 24 Stat. 373 Archived October 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine (Feb. 3, 1887).
  16. ↑ "Constitutional requirements for presidential candidates | USAGov". www.usa.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  17. ↑ "Electoral College | USAGov". www.usa.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  18. ↑ "What is the Electoral College?". National Archives. 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
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