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president pro tempore

or president pro tem

noun

, U.S. Government.
  1. a senator, usually a senior member of the majority party, who is chosen to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president.


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Example Sentences

Four years later, he won a seat in the state Senate, serving for a time as that chamber’s president pro tempore and eventually mounting an unsuccessful challenge to U.S.

Rehberg, Downing and state schools Superintendent Elsie Arntzen have infused their campaigns with hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal loans as they compete in a seven-way competition that includes state Senate President Pro Tempore Ken Bogner and former state Rep. Joel Krautter, who is backed by a former Republican governor.

“We’ve lowered taxes, grown the state economy and built the nation’s best workforce,” said Phil Berger, president pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate.

“This probably, to a lot of our constituents and to a lot of people in this chamber, is probably the most important bill that we brought up,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Dean Kirby, a Republican.

Sen. Patty Murray, the powerful Appropriations Committee chair and Senate President Pro Tempore, agrees that saving local news should now be a priority.

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More About President Pro Tempore

Who is a president pro tempore?

In the United States, the president pro tempore is an official who presides over the Senate if the vice president is absent or unable to preside.

The vice president presides over the US Senate on ceremonial occasions and when a tie-breaking vote is needed. In the vice president’s absence, a member of the Senate, called the president pro tempore, presides instead. 

President pro tempore is an elected position within the Senate, and similar positions have been established in other governments, such as those at the state and local levels in the United States. While the Senate votes for the president pro tempore, it has become tradition for the longest continually serving senator of the majority party to be elected to the position.

Although the president pro tempore rarely acts in a legislative manner, if the president and vice president are both removed from office, die, or are otherwise unable to perform their duties, the president pro tempore assumes the role of president. 

Example: The current president pro tempore has not needed to act in the absence of the vice president yet.

Where does president pro tempore come from?

The position of president pro tempore was created in 1788 when the US Constitution was ratified. Pro tempore is a Latin phrase meaning “temporarily” or “for the time being.” Literally, president pro tempore means “president for the time being.”

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What are some other forms related to president pro tempore?

  • president pro tem (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with president pro tempore

What are some words that often get used in discussing president pro tempore?

How is president pro tempore used in real life?

President pro tempore is used most often in discussions of the US government and politics.

 

 

Try using president pro tempore!

True or False?

The president pro tempore of the US Senate is second in line for the presidency if the president can’t fulfill their duties.

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