The President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate is a senior senator who presides over the chamber whenever the Vice President is absent, which is most of the time. The Constitution creates the office, and the Senate elects one of its own members to fill it. The position stands third in the line of presidential succession, pays more than a rank-and-file senator’s salary, and carries statutory authority to sign legislation, administer oaths, and make certain appointments. As of January 2025, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa holds the office.
Where the Office Comes From
Article I, Section 3, Clause 5 of the Constitution directs the Senate to choose “a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.”1Constitution Annotated. Senate Officers The framers wanted the Senate to be able to function whenever the Vice President was away or had moved into the presidency.
“Pro tempore” is Latin for “for the time being,” but the office itself is not short-term. Rule I of the Senate’s Standing Rules provides that the President Pro Tempore serves “during the pleasure of the Senate and until another is elected or his term of office as a Senator expires.”2GovInfo. Standing Rules of the Senate In practice, an officeholder stays on until retirement, death, or a change in party control of the chamber.3United States Senate. About the President Pro Tempore
How the Senate Chooses the Officeholder
The Constitution says only that the Senate “shall chuse” a President Pro Tempore. It sets no additional qualifications beyond those already required to serve as a senator, and the Senate has always picked one of its own.4United States Senate. About the President Pro Tempore Election happens by simple majority through a resolution of the chamber.5U.S. Government Publishing Office. Senate Procedure – President Pro Tempore
Since 1945, the Senate has followed an unwritten custom of electing the longest-serving member of the majority party. Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee took the office that year as the senior Democrat, and the practice has held ever since.6U.S. Government Publishing Office. Presidents Pro Tempore of the United States Senate Since 1789 It is a tradition, not a rule. Because the majority party controls the floor vote, the position effectively belongs to whichever party holds the most seats.
What the President Pro Tempore Does
Presides Over Senate Sessions
The core function is chairing the Senate when the Vice President is not on the floor. The presiding officer keeps order, recognizes senators to speak, and rules on procedural questions under the Standing Rules and Senate precedent.2GovInfo. Standing Rules of the Senate
In practice, the President Pro Tempore rarely sits in the chair for long. The officeholder has authority to designate another senator to preside, and modern Presidents Pro Tempore routinely hand the gavel to freshman majority-party senators in short shifts. That gives newer members practice with parliamentary procedure and frees the senior officer for committee work.3United States Senate. About the President Pro Tempore
Signs Legislation and Administers Oaths
When the Vice President is absent, the President Pro Tempore signs enrolled bills and joint resolutions on behalf of the Senate before they go to the White House. The Speaker of the House signs first; the Senate’s presiding officer signs second.7U.S. Government Publishing Office. Enrolled Bills and Joint Resolutions – Senate Procedure The officeholder can also administer any oath required by the Constitution and co-preside with the Speaker at joint sessions of Congress.4United States Senate. About the President Pro Tempore
Makes Appointments
Federal law gives the President Pro Tempore power to appoint people to a range of positions. The officeholder jointly appoints the director of the Congressional Budget Office with the Speaker of the House, and separately appoints the Senate’s legislative counsel and legal counsel. The position also carries authority over appointments to various national commissions and advisory boards.4United States Senate. About the President Pro Tempore
Salary
The office pays more than a standard Senate seat. As of 2026, the President Pro Tempore earns $193,400 a year, compared with $174,000 for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate. The higher pay reflects the added constitutional and administrative duties.
Place in the Line of Succession
The President Pro Tempore is third in line to the presidency, behind the Vice President and the Speaker of the House. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 established this placement.8United States Senate. Presidential Succession Act After the Speaker and President Pro Tempore come the cabinet secretaries, in the order their departments were created.9USAGov. Order of Presidential Succession
Reaching the presidency through this route would take an extraordinary chain of events. Both the presidency and vice presidency would have to be vacant, and the Speaker would have to be unavailable or unwilling to serve. The President Pro Tempore would then have to resign both the office and the Senate seat before acting as President.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 US Code 19 – Vacancy in Offices of Both President and Vice President; Officers Eligible to Act The officeholder would also need to satisfy the Article II qualifications for the presidency: natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.11Constitution Annotated. Presidential Qualifications No President Pro Tempore has ever assumed the presidency under this statute.
President Pro Tempore Emeritus
In 2001, the Senate created the honorary title of President Pro Tempore Emeritus. When party control flips, the outgoing officeholder loses the position but may receive the emeritus designation if they remain in the chamber. Strom Thurmond received the title first, after Democrats took the majority in mid-2001, and the Senate has continued the practice through later party transitions. The emeritus title carries no constitutional authority or formal powers; it is a recognition of prior service.