Oath of office of the vice president of the United States facts for kids
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The oath of office of the vice president of the United States is a very important promise. The vice president of the United States says this promise out loud before they officially start their job. It shows they are ready to serve the country.
This promise is the same one taken by members of the United States Congress and other important government leaders. Before the new president takes their oath on Inauguration Day, the new vice president takes theirs.
The United States Constitution has a specific oath for the president, but not for the vice president. Instead, it says that all government officials must promise to support the Constitution. Because of this rule, the very first U.S. Congress created an oath for them to take.
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The Vice President's Promise
The swearing-in ceremony for the vice president is a key part of Inauguration Day, which has been held on January 20th since 1937. Here is the promise the vice president makes.
The Words of the Oath
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
What the Oath Means
This promise might sound complicated, but it has a few simple and important parts:
- Support and defend the Constitution: The vice president promises to protect the country's most important set of rules.
- Bear true faith and allegiance: This means they promise to be loyal to the United States.
- Take this obligation freely: They are making the promise because they want to, with no secret plans.
- Well and faithfully discharge the duties: This is a promise to do the job of vice president honestly and to the best of their ability.
History of the Oath
The tradition of the vice president's oath started a long time ago and has changed over the years.
A Long-Standing Tradition
The first U.S. Congress passed a law in 1789 to create the oath. The words of the oath have been updated by Congress a few times. The version used today has been the same since 1884.
For many years, the vice president was sworn in at the United States Senate, because the vice president is also the president of the Senate. But since 1937, the ceremony has been held outside at the U.S. Capitol, right before the president's ceremony.
Who Gives the Oath?
There is no set rule for who must give the oath to the vice president. Over the years, many different people have had this honor.
- A justice from the Supreme Court of the United States
- The outgoing vice president
- A high-ranking member of the U.S. Senate
- The Speaker of the House
Where the Oath is Taken
Most of the time, the oath is taken at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has also happened at the White House.
One very unusual ceremony took place in 1853. Vice President-elect William R. King was very sick and was resting in Cuba. Congress passed a special law allowing him to take the oath there. It is the only time a presidential or vice-presidential oath has been taken on foreign soil.
Funny Moments and Mistakes
Taking the oath is a serious moment, but sometimes small mistakes happen. These moments show that even important leaders are human. Here are a few examples:
- 1961: When Lyndon B. Johnson was repeating his oath, he said "without any mental reservation whatever" instead of the correct phrase, "without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion."
- 1989: During Dan Quayle's swearing-in, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor accidentally skipped the line “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
- 2005: When giving the oath to Dick Cheney, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert mixed up the words, saying "that I will defend and support the constitution." Cheney repeated the line correctly.
- 2021: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor accidentally mispronounced Kamala Harris's first name. When it was her turn to repeat the oath, Harris said her own name correctly, and the rest of the ceremony went on perfectly.
