# Can a Vice President simultaneously hold another major job? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2014, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267 "2014-10-03T10:45:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/1 "2014-10-03T10:45:34Z")
A Vice President has little official responsibility. Would it be un-Constitutional for him to simultaneously be, say, Secretary of State or FBI director at the same time? It would probably be very politically unpopular, but would it be technically allowed from a legal standpoint? ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/2 "2014-10-03T13:05:56Z")
The Veep would probably be too busy being President of the Senate to hold another job. There is nothing in the Constitution (going from memory) that would prevent it, but why ruin a good gig with another job? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/3 "2014-10-03T13:07:45Z")
Is it unconstitutional for the president himself? Let’s say the president is a MD – is there any provision in the Constitution that would prohibit him from practicing medicine, with or without compensation? By “major job”, do you mean government appointment, with salary paid from the government budget? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/4 "2014-10-03T14:38:12Z")
The POTUS is prohibited from doing another job _for compensation from a state or the federal government_ by Article II, Section 1: “The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.” Interestingly, there is no corresponding provision relating to the VP. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/5 "2014-10-03T14:46:09Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > By “major job”, do you mean government appointment, with salary paid from the government budget? Yes, government office. Like being Secretary of Commerce or Energy. Not a private employer. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/6 "2014-10-03T14:50:47Z")
The Secretaries of Commerce and Energy must be appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate, but otherwise, sure. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/7 "2014-10-03T16:33:59Z")
> [@usar\_jag](#): > > The Veep would probably be too busy being President of the Senate to hold another job. How time consuming is that? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/8 "2014-10-03T16:36:41Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > How time consuming is that? As time consuming as he wants. There are others who can, and do, take over all necessary functions when the VP isn’t around. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/9 "2014-10-03T16:56:07Z")
Joe Biden: Male gigolo MAKE THIS HAPPEN! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/10 "2014-10-03T17:01:28Z")
If I were the vice president I’d bar-tend one night a week. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/11 "2014-10-03T17:30:23Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > There are others who can, and do, take over all necessary functions when the VP isn’t around. Except for the tie- breaking part, right? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/12 "2014-10-03T18:22:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The POTUS is prohibited from doing another job _for compensation from a state or the federal government_ by Article II, Section 1: “The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.” > > Interestingly, there is no corresponding provision relating to the VP. It’s times like this when I think, “_Damn_, that Constitution, those guys thought of everything.” /not sarcasm ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/13 "2014-10-03T20:21:41Z")
I’ve always thought that, if your veep was capable and the two of you understand one another well, that you should make him (or her) your chief of staff. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/14 "2014-10-03T20:48:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If I were the vice president I’d bar-tend one night a week. [At the Overlook hotel.](https://cinemasips.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/shining-bar.png) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/15 "2014-10-03T21:14:35Z")
IIRC a Doper was being taught by Biden before Biden became VP, and Biden had to give up that teaching post. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/16 "2014-10-04T12:12:32Z")
Dan Quayle, while serving as VP, chaired the Council on Competitiveness, a K Street think tank in Washington. All the other members were top executives for business, labor, government and universities. According to Wikipedia, he was appointed to this (and to chairmanship of the National Space Council) by President Bush. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/17 "2014-10-04T12:17:09Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > IIRC a Doper was being taught by Biden before Biden became VP, and Biden had to give up that teaching post. Had to or chose to? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vice-president-simultaneously-hold-another-major-job/700267/18 "2014-10-04T13:25:32Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The POTUS is prohibited from doing another job _for compensation from a state or the federal government_ by Article II, Section 1: “The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.” That doesn’t prevent him from doing another government job; just from being paid for it.