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
Living vice presidents of the United States Living vice presidents of the United States This article shows the variation in the number of living vice presidents of the United States from the inauguration of the first vice President of the United States in 1789 until the present. The following table includes all persons who have taken the vice presidential oath of office. Currently, in addition to the incumbent, Mike Pence, there are five living former vice presidents: Walter Mondale (1977–1981), Dan Quayle (1989–1993), Al Gore (1993–2001), Dick Cheney (2001–2009), and Joe Biden (2009–2017). Number of vice presidents alive at each moment in United States history: Living vice