<P> Since the 25th Amendment's ratification, its Second Section, which addresses vice presidential succession as noted above, has been invoked twice . </P> <P> During the 1973 vice presidential vacancy, House Speaker Carl Albert was first in line . As the Watergate scandal made President Nixon's removal or resignation possible, Albert would have become acting president and--under Title 3, Section 19 (c) of the U.S. Code--would have been able to "act as President until the expiration of the then current Presidential term" on January 20, 1977 . Albert openly questioned whether it was appropriate for him, a Democrat, to assume the powers and duties of the presidency when there was a public mandate for the presidency to be held by a Republican . Albert announced that should he need to assume the presidential powers and duties, he would do so only as a caretaker . However, with the nomination and confirmation of Gerald Ford to the vice presidency, which marked the first time the Second Section of the Twenty - fifth Amendment was invoked, these series of events were never tested . Albert again became first - in - line during the first four months of Ford's presidency, before the confirmation of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, which marked the second time Section 2 of the Twenty - fifth Amendment was invoked . </P> <P> In 1981, when President Ronald Reagan was shot, Vice President George H.W. Bush was traveling in Texas . Secretary of State Alexander Haig responded to a reporter's question regarding who was running the government by stating: </P> <P> Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should the President decide he wants to transfer the helm to the Vice President, he will do so . He has not done that . As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him . If something came up, I would check with him, of course . </P>

If a president dies in office or resigned in what order do the officials listed here