What presently governs the replacement of a president, either permanently or temporarily?

Question

What presently governs the replacement of a president, either permanently or temporarily?

Answer 1

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 currently governs the replacement of a president in case of permanent or temporary need.  The current list of succession (July 2008) is:

    *  The Vice President -- d**k Cheney

    * Speaker of the House -- Nancy Pelosi

    * President pro tempore of the Senate -- Robert Byrd

    * Secretary of State -- Condoleezza Rice

    * Secretary of the Treasury -- Henry Paulson

    * Secretary of Defense -- Robert Gates

    * Attorney General -- Michael Mukasey

    * Secretary of the Interior -- Dirk Kempthorne

    * Secretary of Agriculture -- Edward T. Schafer

    * Secretary of Commerce -- Carlos Gutierrez

    * Secretary of Labor -- Elaine Chao

    * Secretary of Health and Human Services -- Mike Leavitt

    * Secretary of Housing and Urban Development -- Steven C. Preston

    * Secretary of Transportation -- Mary E. Peters

    * Secretary of Energy -- Samuel Bodman

    * Secretary of Education -- Margaret Spellings

    * Secretary of Veterans Affairs -- James Peake

    * Secretary of Homeland Security -- Michael Chertoff

If the Vice President takes the Presidency, Vice Presidential Succession is governed by the 25th Amendment, which states that the President will nominate a candidate who must be approved by majority vote in the House and Senate.