When the president and vice president die who takes their place?

According the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 if the President dies, resigns or is for any reason unable to hold his office or is removed from office the Vice President becomes the President and then chooses a Vice-President that must be approved by a simple majority in both houses of Congress. If both were to leave office at the same time it would go the Speaker of the House (Currently Nancy Pelosi of California), then she would name a VP and it would need to be confirmed by a simple majority of both houses of Congress. The oder then flows like this:

President Pro Tempore of the Senate (Robert Byrd of West Virginia)

Secretary of State (Condoleeza Rice)

Secretary of the Treasury (Henry Paulson, Jr)

Secretary of Defense (Robert Gates)

Attorney General (Alberto Gonzales)

Secretary of the Interior (Dirk Kempthorne)

Secretary of Agriculture (Mike Johanns)

Secretary of Commerce (Carlos Gutierrez)

Secretary of Labor (Elaine Chao)

Secretary of Health and Human Services (Mike Leavitt)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Alphonso Jackson)

Secretary of Transportation (Mary Peters)

Secretary of Energy (Samuel Bodman)

Secretary of Education (Margaret Spellings)

Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Jim Nicholson)

Secretary of Homeland Security (Michael Chertoff)

Realize, though, that because of the way a new VP is chosen by the sitting President, it would likely never get very far down the list. The most itneresting case was, of course, Nixon. Nixon's previous VP (Agnew) had resigned and he appointed Gerald Ford (from Michigan) as the new VP (who happened to be the Speaker of the House) Then Nixon resigned leaving Gerald Ford the only President that was never elected through the electoral process. Gerald Ford appointed Nelson Rockefeller (former governor of New York).

Every year during the State of Union Address one person in the line of succession does not attend the event in case of some catostrophy.

The Speaker of the House, currently Nacy Pelosi

The Vice President Richard Cheney

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

President pro tempore of the Senate1

Secretary of State

Secretary of the Treasury

Secretary of Defense

Attorney General

Secretary of the Interior

Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Commerce

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Transportation

Secretary of Energy

Secretary of Education

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Constitutionally, Congress is to decide who is next beyond this point.

Speaker of the House, then Senate President Pro Tem

The Speaker of the House (currently Nancy Pelosi), who would then appoint her own vice president that the senate would ratify. If she were to die before making such an appointment, then the Presidency would go to the Senate Pro Tem (currently Robert Byrd), who would then appoint his own vice president.

The speaker of the house is next followed by the Senate President Pro Tem

Nancy Pelosi the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi Not sure of the spelling can't remember the next one. The constitution test was a long time ago. So if the Islamic terrorists build a nuclear bomb in Waco Texas and set it off the next time Bush is at his ranch in Crawford TX, a hop, skip and jump from Waco.

It is always on the news so the terrorists are sure to know he is there. We will have a women, a Democrat, and someone opposed to the war. Who wants the troops out of Iraq.

Go terrorists, what would be easy for an American is out of the Iraq's scope of expertise. Remember the shoe bomber?

They haven;t even learned how to tie their own shoes yet the American soldiers have to tie their boots on.

Speaker of the House - Nancy Pelosi

President pro tem of the Senate - Robert Byrd

The Speaker of the House. If that were to actually happen today, Nancy Pelosi would become president.

Nancy pelosi, third in line to the presidency