United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

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Seal of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Seal of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and second to last at 17th in the line of succession to the presidency (the position was last until the creation of the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2002). 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.

Contents

[edit] Chronological lists

[edit] Secretaries

No. Name Portrait Term of Office President(s) served under
1 Edward Joseph Derwinski March 15, 1989–September 26, 1992 George H. W. Bush
2 Jesse Brown January 22, 1993–July 03, 1997 Bill Clinton
3 Togo Dennis West, Jr. May 05, 1998–July 10, 2000
4 Anthony Joseph Principi January 23, 2001–January 26, 2005 George W. Bush
5 Robert James Nicholson January 26, 2005–October 01, 2007
6 James Benjamin Peake December 20, 2007–present[1]

[edit] Acting Secretaries

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.

Name Portrait Term of Office President(s) served under
Start End
Anthony Joseph Principi September 26, 1992 January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush
Hershel Wayne Gober[1] July 3, 1997 January 2, 1998[3] Bill Clinton
July 10, 2000 January 20, 2001
Togo Dennis West, Jr. January 2, 1998[3] May 5, 1998
Gordon H. Mansfield October 1, 2007 December 20, 2007[1] George W. Bush

[edit] Notes & References

^  Some sources, such as the World Almanac[4] and Encarta[5] list Acting Secretary Gober's second time as Acting Secretary in 2000-01 ether as a member of President Clinton's cabinet or with the other Veterans Affairs secretaries. Other sources, such as Infoplease[6] and the The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents[7] do not.

  1. ^ a b James B. Peake - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  2. ^ a b 38 U.S.C. § 304: Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Accessed 2008-01-13.
  3. ^ a b White House (1997-12-02). "President Clinton Names Togo D. West, Jr. As Acting Secretary Of The Department Of Veterans' Affairs". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
  4. ^ Joyce, C. Alan (2008). The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2008. New York: World Almanac Books, 430. ISBN 978-1600570728. 
  5. ^ MSN Encarta. Bill Clinton’s Cabinet. Microsoft Corporation. Accessed 2008-01-15.
  6. ^ Infoplease.com. Cabinet Members Under Clinton. Pearson Education, Inc. Accessed 2008-01-15.
  7. ^ Degregorio, William (2001). The Complete Book of U. S. Presidents. New York: Wings Books, 732. ISBN 0517183536. 
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United States Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
Derwinski • Brown • West • Gober (acting) • Principi • Nicholson • Peake
 Seal of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
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Agencies under the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Board of Veterans' Appeals · Center for Women Veterans · Office of Acquisition & Materiel Management · Office of Information & Technology · Office of Occupational Safety & Health · Office of Policy, Planning and Preparedness · Office of Regulation Policy and Management · Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization
 United States Department of Veterans Affairs Seal
Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health
Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits
Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs
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Leaders of the United States Federal Executive Departments
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