PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES FIXING THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE TERMS OF PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, ETC. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, VICE PRESIDENT, AND REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS, Washington, D. C., Monday, January 18, 1926. The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Hays B. White (chairman) presiding. The committee had before it for consideration the following House joint resolutions: [House Joint Resolution 56, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session] JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of threefourths of the several States: "ARTICLE "SECTION 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 24th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 4th day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin. "SEC. 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be on the 4th day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day. "SEC. 3. If the House of Representatives has not chosen a President, whenever the right of choice devolves upon them, before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, then the Vice President chosen for the same term shall act as President until the House of Representatives chooses a President; and the Congress may by law provide for the case where the Vice President has not been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly until the House of Representatives chooses a President, or until the Senate chooses a Vice President. "SEC. 4. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 30th day of November following the ratification of this article." [House Joint Resolution 164, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session] JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States: "ARTICLE "SECTION 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 24th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at 1 noon on the 4th day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin. "SEC. 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be on the 4th day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day. "SEC. 3. If the House of Representatives has not chosen a President, whenever the right of choice devolves upon them, before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, then the Vice President chosen for the same term shall act as President until the House of Representatives chooses a President; and the Congress may by law provide for the case where the Vice President has not been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly until the House of Representatives chooses a President, or until the Senate chooses a Vice President. "SEC. 4. If the President elect dies before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, then the Vice President elect shall become President; and the Congress may by law provide for the case of the death both of the President elect and Vice President elect before the time fixed for the beginning of the term, for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice devolves upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice devolves upon them. "SEC. 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 30th day of November of the year following the year in which this article is ratified." [Senate Joint Resolution 9, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session] JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States fixing the commencement of the terms of President and Vice President and Members of Congress, and fixing the time of the assembling of Congress Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following amendment of the Constitution be, and hereby, is, proposed to the States, to become valid as a part of said Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of the several States as provided by the Constitution: "ARTICLE "SECTION 1. The terms of the President and Vice President in office at the time this amendment takes effect shall end at noon on the third Monday in January and the terms of Senators and Representatives then in office at noon on the first Monday in January, of the year in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified, and the terms of their successors shall then begin. "SEC. 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in January unless they shall by law appoint a different day. "SEC. 3. If the House of Representatives has not chosen a President, whenever the right of choice devolves upon them, before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, then the Vice President chosen for the same term shall act as President until the House of Representatives chooses a President; and the Congress shall by law provide that in the event the Vice President has not been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly until the House of Representatives chooses a President, or until the Senate chooses a Vice President. "SEC. 4. This amendment shall take effect on the fifteenth day of October after its ratification." Passed the Senate February 15, 1926. |