Denise Carter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Secretary of Education Acting | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Miguel Cardona |
| Succeeded by | Linda McMahon (nominee) |
Denise L. Carter [1] is Principal Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Student Aid in the U.S. Department of Education, [2] currently serving as Acting U.S. Secretary of Education since January 20,2025.
Carter served in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in multiple roles,including as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources. [3] She has served as Acting Chief Operating Officer for Student Aid since July 2024. [2]
Carter was appointed Acting U.S. Secretary of Education by President Donald Trump on January 20,2025. [4]
The Cabinet of the United States is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States. The Cabinet generally meets with the president in a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House. The president chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president of the United States serves in the Cabinet by statute. The heads of departments,appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate,are members of the Cabinet,and acting department heads also participate in Cabinet meetings whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation. Members of the Cabinet are political appointees and administratively function their departments. As appointed officers heading federal agencies,these Cabinet Secretaries are bureaucrats with full administrative control over their respective departments. The president may designate heads of other agencies and non-Senate-confirmed members of the Executive Office of the President as members of the Cabinet.
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD),the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces,and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet. The secretary of defense's position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the president of the United States,who is the commander-in-chief. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in many other countries. The president appoints the secretary of defense with the advice and consent of the Senate,and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council.
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.
The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary reports directly to the president and is a statutory member of Cabinet of the United States. The secretary is appointed by the president,with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The secretary of commerce is concerned with promoting American businesses and industries;the department states its mission to be "to foster,promote,and develop the foreign and domestic commerce".
The United States secretary of education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States,and the federal government,on policies,programs,and activities related to all education in the United States. As a member of the Cabinet of the United States,the secretary is sixteenth in the line of succession to the presidency.
The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services,and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is a member of the United States Cabinet. The office was formerly Secretary of Health,Education,and Welfare. In 1980,the Department of Health,Education,and Welfare was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services,and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new United States Department of Education. Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed.
The United States secretary of veterans affairs is the head of the United States 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 seventeenth in the line of succession to the presidency. Until the appointment of David Shulkin in 2017,all appointees and acting appointees to the post were United States military veterans,but that is not a requirement to fill the position.
The United States order of precedence is an advisory document maintained by the Ceremonials Division of the Office of the Chief of Protocol of the United States which lists the ceremonial order,or relative preeminence,for domestic and foreign government officials at diplomatic,ceremonial,and social events within the United States and abroad. The list is used to mitigate miscommunication and embarrassment in diplomacy,and offer a distinct and concrete spectrum of preeminence for ceremonies. Often the document is used to advise diplomatic and ceremonial event planners on seating charts and order of introduction. Former presidents,vice presidents,first ladies,second ladies,and secretaries of state and retired Supreme Court justices are also included in the list.
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a senior cabinet-level United States government official,required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies,including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA),report directly to the DNI.
The Under Secretary of Education role was established as the second-highest-ranking position in the United States Department of Education when the agency was established in 1979. With the addition of a Deputy Secretary position in 1991,the Under Secretary became the third highest. The Under Secretary of Education is appointed by the President of the United States,with the approval of the United States Senate,to serve at the President's pleasure.
Donald Trump assumed office as the 45th president of the United States on January 20,2017,and his first term ended on January 20,2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
David Lutz Norquist is an American financial management professional and former government official who served as the 34th United States deputy secretary of defense from 2019 to 2021. In May of 2022,Norquist was selected as the president and chief executive officer of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).
Lisa S. Dougherty Kenna is an American diplomat who has served Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State since January 2025. She had served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research from September 11,2023 to January 20,2025. She had served as the United States Ambassador to Peru from March 2021 to September 2023. She served as Acting Secretary of State for only a day,as Senator Marco Rubio was confirmed by the Senate on the day of her appointment,and was later sworn in on January 21.
Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th president of the United States on January 20,2025.
Jeremy E. Pelter is U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Administration,currently serving as Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce since January 20,2025.
Judith Sue Kaleta is Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation,serving as Acting U.S. Secretary of Transportation since January 20,2025.
Gary Washington is Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,currently serving as Acting Secretary of Agriculture since January 20,2025.
Todd B. Hunter is Deputy Executive Director of the Office of Mission Support in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,currently serving as Acting U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs since January 20,2025.
Members of the Cabinet of the United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet members |  | |
| Cabinet-level members | ||
aacting Cabinet of Donald Trump | ||