Could Gonzales Be Prevented From Assuming The Presidency?

[Lincoln Republican]

Would never happen but

President George W Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Pro Tem Robert Byrd, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, all die in a tragic accident.

That leaves Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as next in line to assume the Presidency.

Given incidents that Gonzales has been involved in, some would say unconstitutional, some would say illegal, some would say completely innocent, is there anything the House and Senate could or would do, constitutionally, to prevent Gonzales from assuming the Presidency?

Or would the House and Senate not act to prevent Gonzales from assuming the Presidency?

Please discuss.

[J. J.]

No.  He would become the president if he's otherwise qualified.  Congress, after setting succession laws, doesn't have a role.  Now, they could amend the law prior to the accident.

[Person Man]

Or could impeach and remove him after he became president.

[MaC]

Would never happen but

President George W Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Pro Tem Robert Byrd, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, all die in a tragic accident.

Tragic you say? 

[Lincoln Republican]

Or could impeach and remove him after he became president.

Hopefully, if Gonzales believed he faced the possibility of impeachment, or even impeachment proceedings, he would withdraw himself from the succession, clearing the way for Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorn to become President.

However, with only a little over a year remaining in the term, I doubt that Congress would want to disrupt the nation's business with impeachment proceedings that could take some time.  I would think that Republican Congressional leaders from the House and Senate would prevail upon Gonzales to withdraw himself.

[Boris]

Couldn't the remainder of the cabinet invoke the 25th amendment if they really wanted to?