.
I don’t recall if the thought was posed here or somewhere else... someone mentioned the order of Presidential succession, in light of SECDEF Lloyd Austin’s absence from duty (AWOL?) this past week.
I’ve been thinking about that and realized I only could recall the first 3 or 4. So, I just now looked it up - had know idea there are 18! (No freaking wonder we’re $34trillion in debt. H/T to the poster who shared https://www.usdebtclock.org/).
SECDEF is 6th in line to the Presidency.
https://www.usa.gov/presidential-succession
The U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 outline the presidential order of succession. The line of succession of cabinet officers is in the order of their agencies’ creation.
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security