president pro tempore

American  

Or president pro tem

noun

U.S. Government.

1. a senator, usually a senior member of the majority party, who is chosen to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president.

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Example Sentences

Mr. Johnson was relying on the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which places Mr. Grassley, 92 and the Senate’s president pro tempore, third in line to the presidency.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

The president pro tempore of the Senate, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, is 91, and third in line for succession to the presidency.

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2025

Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, has served as Senate president pro tempore since 2018.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2023

The president laid out his rationale for the strikes in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, and Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat and Senate president pro tempore.

From Washington Times • Oct. 29, 2023

Upon the accession of the vice-president to the presidency, the Senate would proceed to elect its own president pro tempore.

From Civil Government in the United States Considered with Some Reference to Its Origins by Fiske, John