Executive Order 13251—Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of State

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., it is hereby ordered that: Section 1. Subject to the provisions of section 3 of this order, the officers named in section 2, in the order listed, shall act as, and perform the duties of, the office of Secretary of State (Secretary) during any period in which the Secretary has died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary. Sec. 2. Order of Succession. (a) Deputy Secretary of State; (b) Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources; (c) Under Secretary of State designated for political affairs pursuant to section 2651a(b) of title 22, United States Code; (d) Under Secretary of State designated for management affairs pursuant to section 2651a(b) of title 22, United States Code; (e) The remaining Under Secretaries of State, in the order in which they shall have taken the oath of office as such; (f) Assistant Secretaries of State designated for regional bureaus pursuant to section 2651a(c) of title 22, United States Code, in the order in which they shall have taken the oath of office as such; (g) The following officers, in the order in which they shall have taken the oath of office as such: (1) Remaining Assistant Secretaries of State; (2) Coordinator for Counterterrorism; (3) Director General of the Foreign Service; and (4) Legal Adviser; (h) United States Representative to the United Nations (New York); (i) Deputy United States Representative to the United Nations (New York); (j) The following other United States Representatives to the United Nations (New York), in the order in which they shall have taken the oath of office as such: (1) United States Representative to the United Nations for United Nations Management and Reform; (2) United States Representative to the United Nations on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations; and (3) Alternate United States Representative to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations; (k) The following Chiefs of Mission, in the order listed: (1) United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom; (2) United States Ambassador to Canada; (3) United States Ambassador to Australia; (4) United States Ambassador to Mexico; (5) United States Ambassador to Japan; and (6) United States Ambassador to India; (l) The following officers, in the order in which they shall have taken the oath of office as such: (1) United States Ambassadors at Large; (2) Counselor; and (3) Special Representatives of the President; and (m) The remaining Chiefs of Mission, in the order in which they shall have taken the oath of office as such. Sec. 3. Exceptions. (a) No individual who has not been appointed by the President by and with the consent of the Senate shall act as Secretary pursuant to this order. (b) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 2(a)-(m) in an acting capacity shall act as Secretary pursuant to this order. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this order, the President retains discretion, to the extent permitted by the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., to depart from this order in designating an acting Secretary. (d) A successor office, intended to be the equivalent of an office identified in section 2 of this order, shall be deemed to be the position identified in section 2 for purposes of this order. Sec. 4. Executive Order 12343 of January 27, 1982, is hereby revoked. George W. Bush The White House, December 28, 2001