By David E. Hubler
Special Contributor, In Homeland Security
President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is coming together slowly. Only a few of his selections for top posts have been named. Several of these candidates require Senate confirmation to assume their new jobs.
Besides Trump, the one official we know who will certainly be on the job from day one is his running mate Vice President-Elect Mike Pence. But just how vital he will be to the new president is anybody’s guess. Unlike the presidency, the Constitution makes few demands on the office of the vice president.
The vice president’s constitutional duties are to replace the president when the president is unable to serve because of illness, resignation or death. And as Senate president, the vice president casts the deciding vote when there is a tie among the legislators.
In recent years, the VP’s role has grown substantially but the president determines the vice-president’s specific duties. And Trump has boasted of his multi-tasking abilities.
To VP Garner, the Vice Presidency Was ‘Almost Wholly Unimportant’
Texas-born John Nance Garner, who served as vice president during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first two terms, didn’t think much of the job. In a magazine interview, Garner referred to the office as “almost wholly unimportant.” Later, when Lyndon Johnson became John F. Kennedy’s VP, Garner famously told his fellow Texan, “I’ll tell you, Lyndon, the vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm spit.”
Truman Lacked Vice President for Almost Four Years
When Roosevelt died suddenly on April 12, 1945, Vice President Harry S Truman succeeded him. Truman, on the job only a few weeks, had rarely seen FDR and had received no briefings on the development of the atomic bomb.
Truman filled out the nearly four years of what would have been Roosevelt’s fourth term without a vice president. When he ran successfully for a term of his own in 1948, Truman selected Alben W. Barkley as his vice presidential running mate.
Truman was aware of how little he knew about FDR’s wartime administration and policies when he suddenly became president. So he insisted that Barkley sit in on all Cabinet and National Security Council meetings, making him the first working VP in U.S. history.
As a result, Barkley became popularly known as “the Veep.” Truman also made him the administration’s principal spokesman and commissioned a vice presidential seal and flag.
Since then, the vice president’s job has morphed into an important, often critical executive position. However, the president still defines the job responsibilities for the vice president.
25th Amendment Ensures Vice President Position is Filled
The importance of the vice president was recognized in 1967, two years after John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Mindful of that event and of Truman’s years without a vice president, Congress passed the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. Section 2 of that amendment states that “Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.”
In October 1973, following the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, President Richard Nixon became the first chief executive to appoint a VP. He nominated Michigan Congressman Gerald Ford, who was confirmed by Congress.
When Nixon resigned in 1974 after the Watergate scandal, then-President Ford nominated former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller to be his vice president. Rockefeller also received a congressional confirmation.
Recent Vice Presidents Play Key Roles in Presidential Administrations
In recent administrations, Republican and Democratic vice presidents have played key roles as ad hoc ambassadors representing the United States at foreign state events and as U.S. domestic and foreign policy advisers. These vice presidents include Walter Mondale, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden.
Each was chosen to complement the president in areas where the chief executive was seen as lacking. These areas include experience in Congress, previous Cabinet service or expertise in world affairs.
Precisely what role Pence will play in the incoming administration remains to be seen. But judging by Trump’s decision to put him in charge of his transition team and vet names for Cabinet posts, it appears the former Indiana governor will join the ranks of the activist vice presidents.
About the Author
David E. Hubler brings a variety of government, journalism and teaching experience to his position as a Quality Assurance Editor at APUS. David’s professional background includes serving as a senior editor at CIA and the Voice of America. He has also been a managing editor for several business-to-business and business-to-government publishing companies. David has taught high school English in Connecticut and at Northern Virginia Community College. He has a master’s degree for Teachers of English from the University of New Hampshire and a B.A. in English from New York University. In March 2017, Rowman & Littlefield will publish the paperback edition of David’s latest book, “The Nats and the Grays, How Baseball in the Nation’s Capital Survived WWII and Changed the Game Forever.”