Who was chosen as the designated survivor for the 2024 State of the Union speech?
State of the Union address
Miguel Cardona, the Education Secretary, was selected as the designated survivor for this year’s State of the Union speech and did not attend the address on Thursday.
The annual address given by the President of the United States to Congress on the current condition of the nation and their policy priorities.
The State of the Union is an annual speech delivered by the US President to Congress, highlighting the country’s current state and outlining their policy priorities.
A representative from the White House has confirmed to CBS News.
Who has been chosen as the assigned survivor for the year 2024?
Cardona is the 16th in line to succeed the president. He began his service in the White House at the start of the Biden administration, after receiving a 64-33 vote of approval.
Can you define the term “designated survivor”?
Traditionally, the State of the Union is presented in the House chamber with the vice president, members of Congress, and Cabinet attendees. This ensures that all individuals in the presidential line of succession are present. In the event of a catastrophic attack on the chamber, the White House designates a Cabinet member to move to a safe location and not attend the speech, but be prepared to assume the presidency if needed.
order in which the President, Viceline of succession
The following individuals are designated in the order of succession for the presidency in the event that the current office holder leaves their position. The first six in line are as follows: Vice President (Kamala Harris), Speaker of the House (Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana), Senate pro tempore (Senator Patty Murray of Washington), Secretary of State (Antony Blinken), Secretary of Treasury (Janet Yellen), and Defense Secretary (Lloyd Austin).
What is the process for selecting the designated survivor?
The person selected as the designated survivor is typically chosen at random, as stated by the Constitution Center. Not all members of the Cabinet can become the president – in the Biden administration, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are both naturalized U.S. citizens and are therefore not qualified for the presidency.
The selected individual for the designated survivor role receives preparation prior to the event, although the specific details are confidential.
What measures are taken to protect the designated survivor during the State of the Union?
The protection surrounding the chosen survivor is largely confidential, but a handful of past chosen survivors have shared what they could about the situation.
Former Secretary of Agriculture under the Clinton administration, Dan Glickman, shared in Politico that he was brought to a non-disclosed location, specifically his daughter’s apartment in New York, where he was accompanied by important military personnel and the Secret Service. He also noted the presence of a military officer carrying a black, leather-encased aluminum briefcase, believed to contain the necessary codes for a nuclear strike to be authorized.
Glickman stated that it was a great responsibility to place on a single individual, especially considering the highly improbable scenario where the president or secretary of agriculture would need to utilize it. He occasionally contemplates whether he would have been brave enough to issue the command.
Who has previously served as the designated survivor?
The exact origins of this tradition are uncertain, but it is commonly believed to have begun during the Cold War. In 1981, Education Secretary Terrel Bell was publicly announced as the first designated survivor by the White House.
The most common designated survivor is typically a Secretary from either the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, or Commerce, as reported by the Congressional Research Office.
Over the course of the past 5 years, the individual chosen to serve as the designated survivor has been:
Caroline Linton
Source: cbsnews.com