Speaker of the United States House of Representatives by the President "pro tempore" of the Senate and by the heads of federal executive departments. To date, the implementation of the Presidential Succession Act has never been necessary and no Speaker has ever acted as President. Implementation of the law almost became necessary in 1973 after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. At the time, many believed that President Richard Nixon would resign because of the Watergate scandal, allowing Speaker Carl Albert to succeed to the Presidency. However, before he resigned, Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as Vice President in accordance with the Twenty-fifth Amendment. Nevertheless, the United States
Oath of office of the Vice President of the United States the outgoing Vice President (last in 1945) 12 times, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (last in 2017) 9 times, the Chief Justice of the United States (last in 2001) 6 times, U.S. Senators that are not President Pro Tempore of the Senate (last in 1969) 5 times, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (last in 2005) 4 times, a US judge twice, and a US Consul once with one time being unrecorded. Former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger has given the oath the most times with three. Of the 59 times