The Twentieth Amendment

Amendment XX

"Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission."

This Amendment sets out the basic administrative type items for the Government. I think it is kind off funny how this Amendment says that congress shall meet at least once a year. I hope for the salary they get they make it to more than one meeting. And it also specifies that in case of something happening to the President elect for any reason then the Vice-President would become the new President of the United State.  The Twentieth Amendment was ratified on January 23, 1933.

Death of the President Elect, what happens if he dies before swearing in?

Comment:

This video talks about the rare instances of the President Elect passing away, prior to the electoral college meeting in December. The narrator talks about the possible options, but regardless the Vice -President elected would become the new President.  
The only variable outcome would be if he then gets to choose his new Vice-President or the electoral college makes the decision.

Franklin Roosevelt's first Inaugural Address 1 of 2



Comment:

This is a video of President Franklin D Roosevel inaugural speech. He was the first President Inaugurated on January 20th, a change made by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and also this was the first time the Vice President was Inaugurated outdoors on the same platform with the President.