Jump to content

United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 99.235.156.199 (talk) at 04:38, 8 December 2015 (→Living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs of the United States of America
Seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Flag of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
since July 30, 2014
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
StyleMr. Secretary
Member ofCabinet
Reports toThe President
SeatWashington, D.C.
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrument38 U.S.C. § 303
FormationMarch 15, 1989
First holderEd Derwinski
SuccessionSixteenth in the United States Presidential Line of Succession
DeputyDeputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
SalaryExecutive Schedule, level 1
Websitewww.VA.gov

The United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs is the head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and second to last at Sixteenth in the line of succession to the presidency (the position was last until the addition of the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2006[1]). To date, all appointees and acting appointees to the post have been United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.

When the post of Secretary is vacant, the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs[2] or any other person designated by the President serves as Acting Secretary[2] until the President nominates and the United States Senate confirms a new Secretary.

On December 8, 2008, U.S. President Barack Obama announced he would nominate retired U.S. Army general, Eric Shinseki, to be the 7th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on January 20, 2009.[3] General Shinseki resigned as Secretary of Veterans Affairs on May 30, 2014, making deputy secretary Sloan Gibson the acting secretary. On June 29, 2014, President Obama nominated former Procter & Gamble CEO Robert A. McDonald to serve as VA secretary. The United States Senate confirmed McDonald on July 29, 2014.[4]

List of Secretaries of Veterans Affairs

Parties

  No party   Democratic   Republican

Status
  Denotes acting Secretary
No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President(s)
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 1 Ed Derwinski Illinois March 15, 1989 September 26, 1992 rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | George H. W. Bush
– Anthony Principi[1]
(acting) 		California September 26, 1992 January 20, 1993
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 2 Jesse Brown Illinois January 22, 1993 July 1, 1997 rowspan="5" style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Bill Clinton
– Hershel W. Gober[2]
(acting) 		Arkansas July 1, 1997 January 2, 1998
rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 3 Togo D. West, Jr. District of Columbia January 2, 1998[3] May 5, 1998
May 5, 1998 July 25, 2000
– Hershel W. Gober[2]
(acting) 		Arkansas July 25, 2000 January 20, 2001
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 4 Anthony Principi California January 23, 2001 January 26, 2005 rowspan="4" style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | George W. Bush
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 5 Jim Nicholson,
Colonel, USA (Ret.) 		Colorado January 26, 2005 October 1, 2007
– Gordon H. Mansfield[4]
(acting) 		Florida October 1, 2007 December 20, 2007
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 6 James B. Peake,
Lt.Gen., USA (Ret.) 		District of Columbia December 20, 2007 January 20, 2009
7 Eric Shinseki,
General, USA (Ret.) 		Hawaii January 20, 2009 May 30, 2014 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Barack Obama
– Sloan D. Gibson
(acting) 		Alabama May 30, 2014 July 30, 2014 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" |
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | 8 Robert McDonald,
Captain, USA 		Ohio July 30, 2014 present style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |

1 Anthony Principi served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs September 26, 1992—January 20, 1993.

2 Hershel W. Gober served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs July 1, 1997—January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000—January 20, 2001.[5]

3 West served as acting Secretary from January 2, 1998[6] to May 5, 1998.[7]

4 Gordon H. Mansfield served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs October 1—December 20, 2007.[8]

Living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs

As of November 2024, there are five living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, the oldest being Jim Nicholson (2005-2007, born 1938). The most recent Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pass away was Ed Derwinski (1989-1992), on January 15, 2012.

Name Term of office Date of birth (and age)
Togo D. West, Jr. 1998-2000 (1942-06-21) June 21, 1942 (age 82)
Anthony Principi 2001–2005 (1944-04-16) April 16, 1944 (age 80)
Jim Nicholson 2005-2007 (1938-02-04) February 4, 1938 (age 86)
James Peake 2007–2009 (1944-06-18) June 18, 1944 (age 80)
Eric Shinseki 2009–2014 (1942-11-28) November 28, 1942 (age 81)

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Public Law 109-177§.503
  2. ^ a b 38 U.S.C. § 304: Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Accessed 2008-01-13.
  3. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hi6r-WMKkf2LwqPLQN0PhNMabNmgD95R59EG0
  4. ^ Tritten, Travis J. (29 July 2014). "Senate confirms Robert McDonald as Secretary of Veterans Affairs". Stars and Stripes. Defense Media Activity (U.S. Department of Defense). Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Gober Takes Over Top Spot at VA" (Press release). Department of Veterans Affairs. 2000-07-25. Retrieved 2009-09-29. {{cite press release}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "President Clinton Names Togo D. West, Jr. As Acting Secretary Of The Department Of Veterans' Affairs" (Press release). White House. 1997-12-02. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  7. ^ Staff (May 1999). "The Honorable Togo D. West, Jr". Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on 2000-03-04. Retrieved 2009-09-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ UPI. Peake sworn in as VA secretary, Dec 20, 2007. Accessed 21 Dec 2007.
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 17th in line Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Secretary_of_Veterans_Affairs&oldid=694266717"