President pro tempore << proh TEHM puh ree >> is an officer of the United States Senate. The words president pro tempore mean president for a time. The position is largely ceremonial. The office is customarily held by the longest-serving member of the Senate’s majority party. The office ranks third in the line of presidential succession, after the vice president and the speaker of the House of Representatives. Presidential succession determines who takes on the duties of president if the president dies, resigns, or becomes unable to serve.
The Constitution of the United States provides for two officers to preside over the Senate. The vice president serves as the president of the Senate. Senators elect a president pro tempore to preside over the chamber when the vice president is absent. Duties of the presiding officer include recognizing senators who desire to speak or offer amendments or motions. Other duties include administering oaths and enforcing decorum (proper behavior).
The Presidential Succession Act of 1792 placed the president pro tempore second in line to the presidency, after the vice president. The speaker of the House at that time ranked third in the line. In 1886, Congress passed a law removing the president pro tempore and the speaker of the House from the line of succession. Their positions in the line were given to offices in the president’s Cabinet. In 1947, the law was revised again. The president pro tempore returned to the line of succession, now ranked third, after the speaker of the House. See Presidential succession.
A number of notable senators have served as president pro tempore. They include John Tyler, who later became president; William R. D. King, who became vice president; influential Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge; and longtime Senators Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. In 2023, Senator Patty Murray became the first woman to serve as president pro tempore.
