January 19, 2009, 10:38 AM
Gates To Be Designated Successor On Inauguration Day
Posted by Brian Montopoli| Comments13
(AP Photo/Scott Olson)
If the unthinkable happens on Inauguration Day, Robert Gates, the defense secretary, will be available to assume the reins of government.
"In order to ensure continuity of government, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been designated by the outgoing Administration, with the concurrence of the incoming Administration, to serve as the designated successor during Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20th," White House press Secretary Dana Perino said.
According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, if the president is unable to fulfill his duties, the Vice President succeeds him, followed by the Speaker of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate (traditionally the senior member of the majority party), The Secretary of the Treasury, and then the Secretary of Defense. (The succession order continues from there – You can see the full list here.)
Perino said that Gates will be at a secure, undisclosed location on Inauguration Day, according to CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller. Most of the others on the succession list, by contrast, will be participating in the inauguration festivities.
There is a long history of keeping designated individuals away from events at which numerous high ranking officials will be present. In 2007, for example, then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was kept away from the State Of The Union so that he could take over government in case of disaster.
