What is the role of the Vice President?

The Vice President of the United States serves as President of the Senate and stands ready to assume the presidency if the President dies, resigns, is removed, or becomes unable to serve. The Vice Presidency is established by Article II of the Constitution, with additional duties added by amendments and statutes over time.

The Vice President's most important constitutional role is being available to take over as President. Article II, Section 1 originally directed that the Vice President assume the powers and duties of the office if the President is removed, dies, resigns, or is unable to discharge those duties. The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, clarified that the Vice President becomes President in such situations, and added procedures for filling vacancies in the Vice Presidency itself.

Nine Vice Presidents have become President due to the death or resignation of the previous President: John Tyler (after William Henry Harrison's death in 1841), Millard Fillmore (after Zachary Taylor's death in 1850), Andrew Johnson (after Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865), Chester Arthur (after James Garfield's assassination in 1881), Theodore Roosevelt (after William McKinley's assassination in 1901), Calvin Coolidge (after Warren Harding's death in 1923), Harry Truman (after Franklin Roosevelt's death in 1945), Lyndon Johnson (after John Kennedy's assassination in 1963), and Gerald Ford (after Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974).

The Vice President's other constitutional role is presiding over the U.S. Senate as President of the Senate, with authority to cast tie-breaking votes when the Senate is split 50-50. Vice President Kamala Harris cast more tie-breaking votes than any other vice president in history, exceeding the previous record set by John C. Calhoun in the early 1800s. Modern Vice Presidents do not preside over the Senate routinely, except at major moments such as the certification of Electoral College results. Day-to-day Senate operations are run by the Senate Majority Leader.

Beyond the constitutional duties, modern Vice Presidents play significant roles in the executive branch as senior advisors to the President, ambassadors representing the administration on foreign trips, and partners in setting the administration's agenda. Recent Vice Presidents have taken on increasingly substantive roles. Dick Cheney was particularly influential in the George W. Bush administration. Joe Biden led major policy initiatives during the Obama administration. Mike Pence chaired the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Kamala Harris led on issues including immigration, voting rights, and reproductive health. JD Vance is the current Vice President.