What is the president pro tempore?
The president pro tempore presides over the Senate when the vice president is absent. The Senate elects this officer from its members.
“Pro tempore” means “for the time being” in Latin. The Constitution creates the office so the Senate can conduct business without the vice president in the chair.
Who chooses the president pro tempore?
The full Senate elects the president pro tempore. By modern tradition, senators choose the longest-serving senator from the majority party. Seniority means Senate service, not age.
That tradition is not a constitutional requirement. The office does not automatically go to the oldest senator or the majority leader.
The Senate’s president pro tempore overview explains the role and selection. For the current officeholder, check the official Senate leadership page.
What does the president pro tempore do?
The president pro tempore can preside, administer oaths, and sign legislation when the vice president is absent. Signing legislation as a Senate officer does not make it law.
The office also carries appointment duties. For example, the president pro tempore and the Speaker of the House jointly appoint the Congressional Budget Office director.
Who actually sits in the chair?
The president pro tempore does not preside over every session. The officer can name other senators to take the chair, often newer members of the majority party.
This lets newer senators learn Senate rules and procedures. A different senator at the desk does not mean the Senate elected a new president pro tempore.
The Senate’s history of the office explains this practice. The officer serves until the Senate elects another president pro tempore or the officer’s Senate term ends.
How does the role differ from other Senate leaders?
The vice president can break a tie
The vice president is the president of the Senate and votes only to break a tie. The president pro tempore votes as a senator, with no extra tie-breaking vote.
The majority leader shapes the agenda
The president pro tempore is not the Senate majority leader. The majority leader shapes the floor agenda and works to build support for legislation.
Read the Senate’s explanation of party leaders for that separate role.
Where is the office in presidential succession?
Under current law, the president pro tempore stands third in line, after the vice president and the Speaker of the House. The Senate’s history of the office traces this order to the 1947 succession law.
Presiding over the Senate does not make the officer acting president of the United States. Presidential succession is a separate process with legal eligibility requirements.
Follow the senators who represent you
The president pro tempore still represents a state and casts votes on bills. Your senators do the same, whether or not they hold a leadership office.
The Senate has 100 seats, two per state. Read the Senate membership guide for seat counts, six-year terms, and staggered elections.
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