Vice President Powers

Vice President Powers in the United States

Vice President of the United States Powers and Responsibilities

Introduction to Vice President Powers

The vice president’s most important role is to replace the president if the president dies or becomes unable to manage the country’s affairs. Under the Constitution of the United States, the vice president automatically assumes the presidency if the president dies.

The 25th Amendment details procedures for replacing a president who is incapacitated due to illness, injury, or other reasons. In such cases, the president may hand over power to the vice president by sending a written message to the Congress of the United States stating that he or she is unable to carry out the presidential duties. Should the president become incapable of running the country and be unwilling or unable to acknowledge this, the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can notify Congress that the president is unfit. The vice president then becomes acting president until the president certifies in writing that he or she can resume the presidential responsibilities. The vice president, with the support of a majority of the Cabinet, can block the president’s resumption of power, but their decision must be approved by votes of two-thirds of both houses of Congress within 21 days. If Congress fails to support the vice president and the Cabinet, the president regains control.

The Constitution gives the vice president few other official duties. The vice president serves as president of the Senate, formally presiding over Senate deliberations. Even this constitutional responsibility is limited, giving the vice president a vote on Senate bills and resolutions only if there is a tie vote. Because of this limited role in the Senate, the vice president rarely comes to the chamber. The Senate selects a president pro tempore (temporary president), who supervises the Senate most of the time. The vice president also presides over a joint session of Congress when it formally counts electoral votes for presidential elections.

For most of U.S. history, the vice president’s role was limited to these largely ceremonial constitutional obligations. Since World War II (1939-1945) the president and Congress have assigned more and more responsibilities to the vice president. The vice president attends Cabinet meetings and sessions of the National Security Council, the president’s chief advisory panel for formulating and implementing policies related to the military, foreign relations, and other national security issues.

The president also relies on the vice president to lead important presidential committees and panels, which study issues such as environmental protection, urban renewal, and reducing the size of the government bureaucracy. In addition, the vice president often travels to other countries to represent the president at international conferences, the funerals of foreign dignitaries, and other important events.

When the president is away from Washington, D.C., or busy with other duties, the vice president often greets White House guests of many kinds, from groups of Boy Scouts to members of professional associations. If the president is unavailable, the vice president may also attend luncheons and dinners for diplomats or other officials from abroad, and hold meetings with leaders from business groups, labor unions, and other important political constituencies.” (1)

The Vice President’s Residence & Office

Located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO), the white 19th Century house at Number One Observatory Circle in northwestern Washington, D.C., was built in 1893. Originally intended for the superintendent of the USNO, the house was so lovely that in 1923, the chief of naval operations kicked out the superintendent so he could move in himself. Historically, Vice Presidents and their families lived in their own homes, but the cost of securing these private residences grew substantially over the years. Finally, in 1974, Congress agreed to refurbish the house at the Naval Observatory as a home for the Vice President.

Three years passed before any Vice President actually lived at Number One Observatory Circle. Vice President Gerald Ford acceded to the Presidency before he could use the home, and his Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller, only used it for entertaining. Walter Mondale was the first Vice President to move into the home. It has since been home to the families of Vice Presidents Bush, Quayle, Gore, and Cheney. Vice President and Dr. Biden currently reside there.

Vice Presidents have welcomed countless guests to the residence, including foreign leaders and dignitaries. Still, the Naval Observatory has continued to operate. Scientists observe the sun, moon, planets and selected stars, determine and precisely measure the time, and publish astronomical data needed for accurate navigation.

The Vice President’s Ceremonial Office

In addition to the Vice President’s Office in the West Wing, the Vice President and his staff maintain a set of offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), located next to the West Wing on the White House premises. This office, called the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office, served as the Navy Secretary’s Office when the EEOB housed the State, Navy and War Departments. Today, the Vice President uses the office for meetings and press interviews.

Sixteen Secretaries of the Navy worked here between 1879 and 1921. From 1921 until 1947, General John Pershing occupied the room as Army Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Battle Monuments Commission. Pershing’s occupancy of the office was interrupted only once during these 26 years, when President Hoover was forced to relocate his offices following a Christmas Eve fire in the West Wing in 1929. Since 1960, it has been occupied by every Vice President except for Hubert Humphrey, who used a room on the floor below. Since its restoration in the 1980s, it has been considered a ceremonial office.

Resources

Notes and References

Guide to Vice President Powers


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