# Chain of Command **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169 "2001-01-21T21:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/1 "2001-01-21T21:34:14Z")
Lets say that hypothetically, some virus/series of terrorist acts/invading army (take your pick) kills not only the US president, but the VP, all of the cabinet, congress, the senate. Who and what position would become the president and VP? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/2 "2001-01-21T21:55:08Z")
If everybody, including all of Congress (House and Senate) were killed, I don’t think you have to worry about presidential secession. If any of us survive, we’d be answering to a different gvt. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/3 "2001-01-21T21:56:33Z")
That should be, of course, “succession.” I’ll have to read my posts before I submit them. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/4 "2001-01-21T21:58:08Z")
Couldn’t John Goodman just take over in a laugh-a-minute comedy japer a la “King Ralph”? ---
**Author:** ![Hockey969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@Hockey969](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey969)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/5 "2001-01-21T22:32:59Z")
I do know that in events where the President and VP, House, and senate are all in the same location, one cabinet member is not allowed to go and stays in a very secure location. This is so that if the President VP Senate house and cabinet all die in an event, the cabinet member would rule the country. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/6 "2001-01-21T22:40:26Z")
Hmm… I’m sure that Cold-War-era FEMA had a plan for something like this… Noticing the people you _don’t_ kill off in your scenario, I’ll take a WAG on the Chief Justice assuming the nominal presidency while the JCS give the orders. The 50 state governors would have a lot of weight in the reassembly of the Federal Government, once the immediate threat is contained, as it is they who would reconstitute the Senate by appointment, and who would call their State Legislatures to emergency sessions to do something about constituting a _provisional_ House of Reps, AND/OR to select an emergency Electoral College. In the Departments of the Executive Branch, the Bureaucracy would stay running with hardly a blink, unless their staff and equipment were physically destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/7 "2001-01-21T23:09:52Z")
The circumstances you describe go beyond anything detailed in the Constitution, amendments, or U.S. laws. Therefore there would be no automatic succession to the presidency by anyone. Without going through the Constitution with a fine-tooth comb, as JDR points out, I think State Governments could legally reconsititute the Congress by appointment, and the Congress could then elect a President and Vice President. I believe this would probably require bending some of the language in the Constitution a good bit, but in such a grave emergency I doubt anyone would contest it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-of-command/51169/8 "2001-01-21T23:15:59Z")
Actually all the new Congress would have to do is select a Speaker of the House and he would become president automatically.