Who was the first President or Vice President to act on the 25 amendment?

Question

The 25 amendment talks about what should happen if the President should succeed or become to disabled to complete his duties in office. Who was the first president to leave office and cause them to have to make this amendment???

Answer 1

It wasn't law until 1967. That would mean that the Nixon impeachment would be the first.

Answer 2

Applications of the Amendment
The 25th Amendment has been invoked five times since its ratification.


Appointment of Vice President Gerald Ford (1973)
Following Spiro Agnew's resignation two days earlier, President Richard Nixon nominated long-time Michigan congressman Gerald Ford to succeed Agnew as Vice President on October 12, 1973.[1]

The United States Senate voted 92 to 3 to confirm Ford on November 27, and on December 6 the House confirmed him 387 to 35. Ford was sworn in later that day at the United States Capitol.


Succession of President Gerald Ford (1974)
President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. In accordance with section one, which formalized the Tyler precedent, Vice President Gerald Ford succeeded to the presidency.


Appointment of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (1974)
By becoming President, Gerald Ford left the Vice Presidency vacant. After considering Melvin Laird and George H. W. Bush, on August 20, 1974, President Ford nominated former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller to succeed him as Vice President.

After a long and contentious investigation, particularly to ensure that his family's business dealings would not cause conflicts of interest, he was confirmed (287-128 by the House, 90-7 by the Senate). He was sworn into office on December 19, 1974.


Acting President George H. W. Bush (1985)
On July 12, 1985, President Ronald Reagan underwent a colonoscopy, during which a pre-cancerous lesion called a villous adenoma was discovered. Upon being told by his physician (Dr. Edward Cattow) that he could undergo surgery immediately or in two to three weeks, Reagan elected to have it removed immediately.

That afternoon, Reagan consulted with White House counsel Fred Fielding by telephone, debating whether or not to invoke the 25th amendment and if so, whether such a transfer would set an undesirable precedent. Fielding and White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan both recommended that Reagan transfer power, and two letters doing so were drafted: the first specifically referencing Section 3 of the 25th amendment, the second not.

At 10:32 a.m. on July 13, Reagan signed the second letter and ordered its delivery to the appropriate officers as required under the amendment. Due to some confusing language and Reagan's failure to specifically mention Section 3 of the amendment (see Reagan transfer of power letters) in his letter, some constitutional scholars have claimed that Reagan did not actually transfer his power to Bush.

However, in books such as The President Has Been Shot: Confusion, Disability and the 25th Amendment, by Herbert Abrams, and Reagan's autobiography, An American Life, Reagan's intent to transfer power to Bush was clear. Fielding himself adds, "I personally know he did intend to invoke the amendment, and he conveyed that to all of his staff and it was conveyed to the VP as well as the President of the Senate. He was also very firm in his wish not to create a precedent binding his successor."


Acting President Dick Cheney (2002)
On the morning of June 29, 2002, President George W. Bush underwent a colonoscopy and chose to invoke the 25th amendment, temporarily transferring his powers to Vice President Cheney.

Unlike Reagan's 1985 letter, Bush's letter specifically cited Section 3 of the 25th amendment in his letter transferring power.

Answer 3

Richard Nixon who then was succeeded by Gerald Ford.