Amendment XX (1933)
1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
The need for a line of presidential succession has become clear over the years. Between 1841 and 1975 more than one-third of all presidents either died in office, resigned or became disabled. Of veeps, seven have died in office and two have resigned, keeping the second office vacant more than 37 years. Says Carl Albert, former Speaker of the House: ”Historically, the line of succession went directly from the vice president to Cabinet members. But in 1947 Congress changed the line of succession (as it was empowered to do under the Constitution) and made the Speaker No. 3. I`m not sure why they changed it. I think it was mostly because Sam Rayburn and Joseph Martin, the House Speaker and the minority leader, probably thought they were better men for the job than the Secretary of State.”
4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.
5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.
Amendment XXI (1933)
1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
2. The transportation or importation into any State, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
Amendment XXII (1951)
1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
”Four more years,” Republicans were chanting last summer, in the midst of a party boomlet to repeal the 22d Amendment and let Ronald Reagan have unlimited terms. ”I think it should be changed because I think it`s only democratic for the people to be able to vote for someone as many times as they want,” Reagan told supporters. Since the Iran arms scandal, however, the hurrahs have died down. Ironically, the 1951 amendment was originally the work of GOP lawmakers, still smarting over Franklin Roosevelt`s unprecedented election to four terms.
2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
Amendment XXIII (1961)
1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:
A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least ….
Until 1961 the citizens of the District of Columbia could not vote in presidential elections, even though its population of 800,000 exceeded that of each of the 13 colonies and even though D.C. residents had all the normal obligations of citizenship, including tax payment and military service. This paradox of imposing the duties of citizenship without the most fundamental of its privileges was rectified by the 23d Amendment.
… populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.
2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Amendment XXIV (1964)
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.
United Press International photo: Blacks talk with a federal marshal as they wait in line to register to vote in Selma, Ala., in 1965.
2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Amendment XXV (1967)
1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
Lawmakers who drafted the 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, could not have known it would be needed so soon. When Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president in 1973, due to scandal, Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to replace Agnew. When Nixon himself resigned the next year at the height of Watergate, Ford succeeded Nixon. The musical chairs then continued as Ford named Nelson Rockefeller to be the third vice president in 26 months.
The two last provisions of this amendment have never officially come into play, although there has been ample opportunity during the Reagan presidency. There was no formal transfer of powers during the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan, though Vice President George Bush handled presidential functions for a brief time. Before Reagan`s 1985 cancer surgery, performed under general anesthetic, Reagan signed letters temporarily transferring power to Bush, noting that Bush could be regarded as ”acting president.” Yet the White House claimed the letters did not constitute invoking of the 25th Amendment, a distinction that many saw as ambiguous at best. During his recent prostate surgery, Reagan avoided the issue by receiving a local anesthetic (AP color photo of Rockefeller).
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.
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.
”I am in control here,” then-Secretary of State Alexander Haig announced in a now-infamous remark made in the White House press room on the March, 1981, day President Reagan was shot. Not according to U.S. law, he wasn`t–not even in Vice President George Bush`s absence.
In order to clear up any lingering confusion–not, we assure you, to make you fear or covet disaster–we print the official presidential
pecking order. The Men and Women Who Would Be President: President Ronald Reagan; Vice President Bush; Rep. Jim Wright (D., Tex.), Speaker of the House; Senate President pro tempore John Stennis (D., Miss.); Secretary of State George Shultz; Secretary of the Treasury James Baker; Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger; Attorney General Edwin Meese; Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel; Secretary of Agriculture Richard Lyng; Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige; Secretary of Labor William Brock; Secretary of Health and Human Services Otis Bowen; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Samuel Pierce; Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole; Secretary of Energy John Herrington; Secretary of Education William Bennett (AP color photo of Haig).
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…
Agents subdue John Hinckley Jr. outside the Washington Hilton after his March 30, 1981, attempt to assassinate President Reagan (Black Star/W.W. Owen color photo).
… 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.
Amendment XXVI (1971)
1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of age.
”It`s a good idea that 18-year-olds can vote–in some cases. It`s, you know, kind of exciting that I can actually vote for a person I feel can do the job the best. I can make an important decision that`ll count. I always feel that my vote counts. I always think that maybe my vote will help someone to win, or whatever. Lately I`ve kind of bragged about being old enough to vote `cause a lot of my friends won`t be 18 in time.”
–Sherri Thompson, a Lindblom Technical High School senior who turned 18 in early February and is planning to vote, for the first time, in the upcoming mayoral election (United Press International color photo).
2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
AMENDMENTS PENDING
There are currently 59 proposed constitutional amendments pending before Congress, all introduced since the new session began. (Those under
consideration by the 99th Congress died at the end of last session, as required by law.) Besides several attempts to resurrect the Equal Rights Amendment, new proposals include calls for:
— Direct popular election of the president and vice president.
— A single six-year term for the president and vice president.
— A balanced budget.
— Establishment of English as the official U.S. language.
— A three-term limit on congressmen and a single term for senators.
— A prohibition on busing.
— A two-thirds vote of each house to raise taxes.
— An item veto for the president.
— A prohibition on abortions.
— Prayer in public schools.
No amendments are before the states at the moment. The last to reach that stage, a proposal to allow the District of Columbia voting representation in Congress, died in 1985 without ratification.
