The President pro tempore ( /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəriː/ or /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəreɪ/), also president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The United States Constitution states that the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, despite not being a member of the body, and that the Senate must choose a president pro tempore. By a convention established in the 81st Congress, the senior senator in the m...
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The President pro tempore ( /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəriː/ or /ˌproʊ ˈtɛmpəreɪ/), also president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The United States Constitution states that the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, despite not being a member of the body, and that the Senate must choose a president pro tempore. By a convention established in the 81st Congress, the senior senator in the majority party is normally elected.
During the Vice President's absence, the president pro tempore presides over its sessions or appoints another senator to do so. Normally, neither the Vice President of the United States nor the President pro tempore presides; instead, the duty is generally delegated to the junior senators of the majority party to help them learn parliamentary procedure.
The president pro tempore is third in the line of succession to the presidency, after the vice president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives....
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