Vice presidents are often secondary characters in American history. They’re the sidekicks, the understudies, and the second fiddles—not exactly a recipe for fame. Yet every once in a while, we find ourselves asking: do vice presidents get state funerals? That question has come up several times in recent history. Vice Presidents Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Gerald Ford all received state funerals after passing away. Even so, this isn’t an automatic privilege for all vice presidents. As it turns out, there are specific circumstances that determine whether someone gets a state funeral as part of their job title or not.
Do Vice Presidents Get State Funerals?
There are specific circumstances that determine whether someone gets a state funeral as vice president. Vice presidents are often secondary characters in American history. They’re the sidekicks, the understudies, and the second fiddles—not exactly a recipe for fame. Yet every once in a while, we find ourselves asking: Do vice presidents get state funerals? That question has come up several times in recent history. Vice Presidents Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Gerald Ford all received state funerals after passing away. Even so, this isn’t an automatic privilege for all vice presidents. As it turns out, there are specific circumstances that determine whether someone gets a state funeral as vice president.
What is a State Funeral?
- The U.S. government has a set of guidelines for how to handle the death of a President or Vice President. The process is designed in such a way that it guarantees that the position will be transferred to the next person in line, who will then take up the duties and responsibilities of the office.
- The guidelines are very specific in that they outline what must be done for every individual state funeral held for a president or vice president who passes away while in office.
- A state funeral is an official ceremony that pays tribute to a deceased individual and honors their life, accomplishments, and service to their country and their fellow citizens—and it is usually performed by representatives of the government at large (e.g., Congress, governors) rather than by family members only (a private funeral).
- The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for planning all state funerals held for former presidents and vice presidents who died while serving in officeS. Constitution provides that the president of the United States and the vice president shall be considered to be “first in a line of succession to the Presidency” and “next in line of succession to the Office of President” under Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the U.S.
- A state funeral is different from a traditional funeral in that it’s usually held in a public place and is often attended by thousands of people. This can be seen in the services of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, who both received state funerals after passing away. Most states have laws that require an official funeral service before burial, but these laws are rarely enforced because they don’t apply to vice presidents or other government officials like judges or congressmen.
- A maximum number of people will be allowed into a state funeral, which usually depends on how much space is available at the event venueS. the president is the only person who can declare a state funeral for another person.
How Do You Get a State Funeral?
1. You’re a president.
You can’t get a state funeral without being the president first—and there are very few exceptions to this rule. The chief executive is the only person in the United States who has the right to have a state funeral, and he or she gets it automatically when they die. There are no other qualifications for being able to receive a state funeral, and vice presidents aren’t able to get one either if they aren’t the president first. In fact, there have only been three instances where someone else has been given their own state funeral after dying as vice president: Andrew Johnson, Spiro Agnew, and Dick Cheney.
2. You were elected as vice president or appointed by a president as vice president
If you were elected or appointed by President X to be Vice President Y (or later served in that role), then you automatically get a state funeral if that person dies while serving in office. The same goes for a person who was appointed vice president by the president, but who doesn’t finish their term. The same goes for someone who is elected to serve as vice president but dies before taking office.
3. You were nominated by your party as vice president, and then elected to that role
If you’re a political party nominee for Vice President X and are then elected to serve in that role, you don’t need to be a sitting member of Congressouse of Congress as vice president, then you automatically get a state funeral if the person who dies while serving in that role is the president. The same goes for someone who was elected to serve in the lower chamber of Congress as vice president, but who doesn’t finish their term.
4. You were a cabinet member during your tenure as vice president
If you were appointed to be a cabinet member during your time as vice president, then you automatically get a state funeral if the person who dies while serving in that role is the president. The same goes for someone who was elected to serve in a cabinet-level position as vice president but didn’t finish their term.
5. You were an acting or acting-like vice president during your tenure as vice president
If you served as an acting or acting-like vice president during your tenure as vice president, then you automatically get a state funeral if the person dies while serving in that role. chamber of the United States Senate or House of Representatives when you were vice president, then you automatically get a state funeral if that person dies while in office. This is another rule that has very few exceptions—so if you’re a senator or representative and your vice president dies, you’ll get a state funeral.
Who Decides Whether You Get a State Funeral?
- The President. The President of the United States is the one who ultimately decides whether a vice president gets a state funeral. It’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t a power that the Vice President has, but rather, it’s a decision that the United States president makes.
- The State Funeral Commission. The next step is for the state funeral commission to make their decision and decide whether or not they will give an official state funeral to a vice president. This process is governed by Article Two, Section Two, Clause Two of the United States Constitution: “The Congress may by Law vest the Title of President…in two or more Persons.”
- The Vice President’s Family and Supporters. Finally, if there are enough supporters who want a state funeral for their loved one—like in Gerald Ford’s case—the family can ask for one as well! If there are enough supporters to make it happen, the vice president’s family can request a state funeral and the state funeral commission will make the decision to give it to them.
Final Words
If you ever find yourself at a state funeral, don’t think that you’re in the wrong place. You’re not. It’s normal for state funerals to be attended by thousands of people. People like you and me are actually welcome to attend state funerals. They’re open to members of the public, and you don’t have to be invited to go. To be honest, you don’t even have to be invited to attend the service. You just show up, sit wherever you like, and you’ve got nothing to worry about. There are some protocols to keep in mind, though. For one, you’re expected to wear appropriate attire. That means no tank tops, no shorts, and no flip-flops. People naturally have a lot of questions about state funerals, like “do vice presidents get state funerals?”, but it’s important to remember that they’re open to members of the public.
