1973 United States vice presidential confirmation explained

Election Name:	1973 United States vice presidential confirmation
Country:	United States
Type:	Presidential
Vote Type:	Popular
Ongoing:	no
Election Date:	(House)
Needed Votes:	Majority of both Senate and House
Next Election:	1974 United States vice presidential confirmation
Next Year:	1974
Image1:	Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg
Image1 Size:	x200px
Nominee1:	Gerald Ford
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	Michigan
Electoral Vote1:	92 (Senate) 387 (House)
Percentage1:	96.8% (Senate) 91.7% (House)
Vice President
Posttitle:	Confirmed Vice President
Before Election:	Spiro Agnew
After Election:	Gerald Ford

On October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew (a Republican) was forced to resign following a controversy over his personal taxes. Under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a vice presidential vacancy is filled when the president nominates a candidate who is confirmed by both houses of Congress. President Richard Nixon (a Republican) thus had the task of selecting a vice president who could receive the majority support of both houses of Congress, which were then controlled by the Democrats.

President Nixon considered selecting former Texas Governor and Treasury Secretary John Connally, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and California Governor Ronald Reagan. However, Nixon settled on House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan, a moderate Republican who was popular among the members of Congress (in both parties) and who was good friends with Nixon. Ford won the approval of both houses by huge margins, and was sworn in as the 40th vice president of the United States on December 6, 1973.^{[1] [2]}

On August 9, 1974, Ford ascended to the presidency after the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon, becoming the only president in American history to have never been elected president or vice president.

Confirmation votes

By a vote of 92 to 3 on November 27, 1973, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Gerald Ford.^[3] The following week, on December 6, the House of Representatives gave its approval, 387 to 35.^[4]

	Party				Total votes
	Democratic	Republican	Conservative	Independent
Yes	51	39	1	1	92
No	3	0	0	0	3
Roll call vote on the nomination Senator Party State Vote Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Nay Yea Yea No vote Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea No vote Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Nay Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea No vote Yea No vote Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Nay Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea No vote Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea

	Party		Total votes
	Democratic	Republican
Yes	199	188	387
No	35	0	35

See also

• Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
• 1974 United States vice presidential confirmation

External links

• THE ESTABLISHMENT AND FIRST USES OF THE 25TH AMENDMENT, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Digital Library

Notes and References

1. Book: Mieczkowski. Yanek. Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s. 22 April 2005. University Press of Kentucky. 11–13. 0813172055. 5 October 2015.
2. News: Woodward. Bob. Ford, Nixon Sustained Friendship for Decades. 5 October 2015. Washington Post. 29 December 2006.
3. Web site: To advise and consent to the nomination of Gerald R. Ford to be Vice-President of the U.S.. govtrack.us. U.S. Senate–November 27, 1973. February 12, 2019.
4. Web site: To pass H.Res. 735, confirming the nomination of Gerald R. Ford to be Vice-President. govtrack.us. U.S. House of Representatives–December 6, 1973. February 12, 2019.