Final answer:
The statement is false; if the Vice Presidency is vacant, the President nominates a replacement who must then be confirmed by a majority in both the House and the Senate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Congress appoints a new Vice President if the office becomes vacant is false. According to the 25th Amendment, specifically Section 2, if the Vice Presidency is vacated, the President must nominate a new Vice President. This nominee must then be confirmed by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress before taking office.
It's important to understand that the process of filling a vacancy in the office of Vice President is designed to ensure that the office does not remain unfilled for an extended period. This process is part of the constitutional mechanisms that maintain the continuity and stability of the Executive Branch of the United States government. The amendment was ratified on February 10, 1967, and it clarified the procedures involving the succession of the presidency and the filling of a vacant vice-presidential office.