Omar Bennett
The President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, also known as the president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. The US Constitution states that the vice president is the president of the Senate and that the Senate must elect a president pro tempore to preside in their absence. The president pro tempore is third in the line of presidential succession and is one of the few members of Congress entitled to a full-time security detail.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ranking | Second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate |
| Election | Elected by the Senate as a whole, usually by unanimous consent without a formal vote |
| Eligibility | The Constitution does not specify who can serve in this position, but the Senate has always elected one of its current members; traditionally the senior member of the majority party |
| Duties | Authorized to perform certain duties in the vice president's absence, including ruling on points of order, signing legislation, and administering all oaths required by the Constitution |
| Succession | Third in the line of presidential succession, after the vice president and the speaker of the House of Representatives |
| Tenure | Since 1890, the president pro tempore has held office continuously until the election of another president pro tempore |
| Salary | Since 1816, presidents pro tempore have received a larger salary than other senators |
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What You'll Learn
The role's establishment and history
The office of president pro tempore was established by the US Constitution in 1789. The first president pro tempore, John Langdon, was elected on April 6, 1789, serving four separate terms between 1789 and 1793. The president pro tempore is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. The US Constitution states that the vice president is the president of the Senate, and that the Senate must elect a president pro tempore to act in their absence. The president pro tempore is elected by the Senate as a whole, usually by unanimous consent without a formal vote. The Constitution does not specify who can serve in this position, but the Senate has always elected one of its current members. Since the mid-20th century, it has been customary for the president pro tempore to be the senior member of the majority party.
The president pro tempore has some limited powers and privileges. They are authorised to perform certain duties in the absence of the vice president, including ruling on points of order, signing legislation, and administering all oaths required by the Constitution. They may also jointly preside with the Speaker of the House when the two houses sit together in joint sessions or joint meetings. The president pro tempore is third in the line of presidential succession, following the vice president and the speaker, and is one of the few members of Congress entitled to a full-time security detail.
Historically, the president pro tempore would preside over any joint session of Congress alongside the speaker of the House when there was a vacancy in the vice presidency. With the ratification of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution in 1967, vacancies in the vice presidency became less common. However, there have been occasions when the president pro tempore has had to preside in the vice president's absence, such as in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and in 2021 during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
The role of the president pro tempore has evolved over time. Originally, the position was conceived as a temporary replacement for the vice president, who was assumed to preside over the Senate regularly. However, with the expanding role of the executive branch, the vice president is often absent from the Senate, and the president pro tempore office has become a permanent fixture. Since 1890, the office has been held continuously, and the president pro tempore has taken on more responsibilities and become an elected position.
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Their powers and duties
The President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, often shortened to president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official in the Senate, after the vice president. The role was established by the US Constitution in 1789, with the first president pro tempore, John Langdon, elected on April 6, 1789.
The president pro tempore's powers are limited, with most power resting with the majority leader and other individual senators. However, they are authorised to perform certain duties in the absence of the vice president, including ruling on points of order, and presiding over the Senate. They can also administer oaths required by the Constitution, sign legislation, and jointly preside with the Speaker of the House in joint sessions or meetings.
The president pro tempore is also third in the line of presidential succession, after the vice president and the speaker. As such, they are one of the few members of Congress entitled to a full-time security detail. They are also the designated legal recipient of various reports to the Senate, including War Powers Act reports, and are an ex officio member of various boards and commissions.
The president pro tempore also makes appointments to various congressional officers, commissions, advisory boards, and committees, and, in consultation with Senate leaders, appoints the director of the Congressional Budget Office, as well as Senate legislative and legal counsel.
While the president pro tempore can fulfil many of the duties of the vice president, there are some key differences. Notably, they cannot cast a tie-breaking vote when the Senate is evenly divided.
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Presidential succession
The President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, often shortened to President Pro Tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the Senate, after the vice president. The President Pro Tempore is elected by the Senate as a whole and is, by custom, the senior member of the majority party.
The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, as amended, sets out the presidential order of succession. The Act has been modified several times, most recently in 2006, when the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act added the secretary of homeland security to the presidential line of succession. The Act outlines that in the event of the president's removal, death, resignation, or inability to perform their duties, the vice president is first in line to take over the "powers and duties" of the presidency.
The Presidential Succession Act has been enacted on three occasions: in 1792, 1886, and 1947. The 1792 Act provided that the President Pro Tempore of the Senate would be first in line for the presidency should both the president and vice president's offices be vacant. However, a new law in 1886 removed the President Pro Tempore from the line of succession, substituting cabinet officers. The 1947 Act changed the order of succession once again, placing the Speaker of the House after the vice president, followed by the President Pro Tempore, and then the secretary of state and other cabinet officers.
The President Pro Tempore has certain privileges and limited powers. They are authorized to perform specific duties in the absence of the vice president, including ruling on points of order, administering all oaths required by the Constitution, and signing legislation. They also fulfill the role of presiding officer when presiding over joint sessions of Congress alongside the Speaker of the House when there is a vacancy in the vice presidency.
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Election and term
The President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate, also referred to as the president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. The office of president pro tempore was established by the Constitution of the United States in 1789. The president pro tempore is elected by the Senate as a whole, usually by a resolution that is adopted by unanimous consent without a formal vote. The Constitution does not specify who can serve in this position, but the Senate has always elected one of its current members. Since the mid-20th century, tradition has dictated that the senior member of the majority party serves as president pro tempore.
The president pro tempore is elected on a temporary basis, chosen for their personal characteristics, popularity, and reliability, and only serving for the period when the vice president would be absent. The term "pro tempore" is derived from Latin, meaning "for the time being," indicating that the position was initially conceived as a temporary replacement. The framers of the Constitution assumed that the vice president would preside over the Senate regularly, so the Senate would only need to elect a president pro tempore to fill in as a presiding officer for brief periods.
Since 1890, it has been customary for the president pro tempore to be elected for a longer term, traditionally serving until they retired, passed away, or their party lost its majority status. On rare occasions, a president pro tempore has been designated to serve permanently until their death, as in the case of Lee Metcalf, who served from 1963 until his death in 1978.
The current president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate is Chuck Grassley.
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Salary
The president pro tempore of the United States Senate, often shortened to president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. The president pro tempore is elected by the Senate as a whole and is usually the most senior senator of the majority party. They are authorised to perform certain duties in the absence of the vice president, including ruling on points of order, signing legislation, and fulfilling all other obligations of the presiding officer.
Historically, the salary of the president pro tempore has been higher than that of other senators. Since 1816, presidents pro tempore have received a larger salary than other senators. For a period, they were compensated at the same rate as the vice president. The specific salary amount for the president pro tempore is $193,400 annually, which is higher than the base salary for rank-and-file legislators serving in the US Congress, which is $174,000 per year.
The president pro tempore is one of the few members of Congress entitled to a full-time security detail. In addition, they are eligible for a generous pension if they have at least five years of service or federal employment. The pension pays two to three times more than pensions offered to similarly-salaried workers in the private sector.
The position of president pro tempore is largely ceremonial, and they do not preside over the Senate on a daily basis. However, they do have the power to administer all oaths required by the Constitution and may jointly preside with the Speaker of the House during joint sessions or meetings. The president pro tempore is also the designated legal recipient of various reports to the Senate, including War Powers Act reports, under which they may require the president to call Congress back into session.
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Frequently asked questions
The President Pro Tempore, or "president for a time", is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The current officeholder is Patty Murray (D), from Washington.
The President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate in the absence of the vice president. They can administer all oaths required by the Constitution, sign legislation, and jointly preside with the Speaker of the House when the two houses sit together in joint sessions or joint meetings.
The President Pro Tempore is chosen by the Senate as a whole, usually by unanimous consent without a formal vote. The Constitution does not specify who can serve in this position, but the Senate has always elected one of its current members. Since 1890, the president pro tempore has been the senior member of the majority party.
The office of President Pro Tempore was established by the US Constitution in 1789.
The President Pro Tempore is third in the line of presidential succession, after the vice president and the speaker of the House of Representatives.
