Until required to become leader what job does the vice president do besides wait in the wings?

Question

VP Cheney doesn't seem to do too much especially when the President visits foreign lands then he seems to go underground like on Sept. 11. If he is needed to fill in for the President does he select a VP or does the speaker of the house take over in his job. Who is the speaker of the house presently?

Answer 1

The Vice President also serves as the President of the Senate, and may break tie votes in that chamber. The Order of Presidential Succession is as follows:
* The Vice President **** Cheney
* Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
* President pro tempore of the Senate Ted Stevens
* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
* Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson
* Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
* Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
* Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
* Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
* Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez
* Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
* Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt
* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
* Secretary of Transportation Vacant
* Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
* Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
* Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
* Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff

Answer 2

The VP serves as the tie-breaking vote in the US Senate and is the Chair/President of the Senate, per the US Constitution (Article I, Section 3)
http://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm#a1_sec3
http://www.c-span.org/questions/week183.asp

The VP also acts as Acting President if the President is unable to fulfil his duties or has left office, per the US Constitution (Amendment XXV/25)
http://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm#amdt_25_(1967)

If the VP position is vacant, the President shall nominate a new VP to be confirmed by a majority of both houses of Congress, per the 25th
Amendment.

The Speaker of the House is chosen by the House, but doesn't have to be a member of the House (but usually is...). The current Speaker of the House is Dennis Hastert (R-IL).
http://speaker.house.gov/
http://www.c-span.org/questions/week127.asp

The current order of succession, by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (3 U.S.C. § 19), is:
President
Vice President
Speaker of the House of Representatives
President pro tempore of the Senate
and it goes on...
That's assuming that both the President and Vice President positions are vacant...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession
http://www.senate.gov/comm/rules_and_administration/general/hearings/2003/091603_baker.htm

Answer 3

The VP is president of the Senate.
Dennis Hastert is the Speaker of the House.

Answer 4

One responsibility the Vice President has is to sit in on senate meetings. He is the deciding vote in the event there is a tie, since each state has two senators; making an even 100. The vice president would make the 101st vote.

Answer 5

He advises the President, and also in war time they ensure the Vice president is hidden away in case anything happens to the PResident

Answer 6

He was the head of Halliburton or on their directors board. How convenient don't you think?