With all the counts and re-counts and re-re-counts going around, and with the likelihood that lawsuits are going to fly left and right before all is said and done, it’s theoretically possible that a new president might not be elected before the end of President Clinton’s term, Jan 20 or thereabouts.
So what would happen if the matter is still unresolved when President Clinton’s term ends? Considering the Clinton administration’s complete and utter disregard for the Constitution, I wouldn’t put it past President Clinton to simply declare himself president until the dust has settled. However, my gut tells me that the presidency would default to the Speaker of the House if the Electoral College doesn’t elect one in time.
Yes, in that event, it would go to the Speaker, Dennis Hastert of Illinois (assuming he gets reëlected to that post, too, in January). It would bypass the Vice President because his term also expires at noon EST on 20 January 2001.
The fun scenario would be if it does pass to Hastert, and then it’s revealed that Gore is the winner. How and when does Hastert turn over the presidency?
This is correct assuming Hastert is reelected Speaker, which is likely but not assured, and assuming that he is at least 35 years of age and a citizen by birth. In any case, the Speaker of the House is the first alternate, then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate (which would also be reelected early in the term). Since the Senate is going to be split 50-50, the pres pro tem might very well be a Democrat.
After that it goes into the Cabinet. I think, but I’m not sure, that it would go to Janet Reno. Albright is first in line, but she is ineligible because she is not a citizen by birth. I think the AG is second, although I might be wrong. See Title 3 of the United States Code, it’s in there somewhere.
He would do so as soon as it is determined. A person holding the Presidency temporarily because of a failure to qualify a President-Elect must surrender immediately upon the qualification of a President-Elect in accordance with the Twelth and Twenty-Fifth Amendments and Title 3 of the United States Code. Failure to do so would create a constitutional crisis.