United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

Last updated

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
US Department of Health and Human Services seal.svg
Seal of the department
Flag of the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.svg
Flag of the secretary
P20250213JB-0287 (cropped).png
since February 13, 2025
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Style Mr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member of The United States Cabinet
Reports to President of the United States
Seat Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, D.C.
Appointer President of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Term length At the President's Pleasure
Constituting instrumentReorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953
67  Stat.   631
42 U.S.C.   § 3501
FormationApril 11, 1953;71 years ago (1953-04-11)
First holder Oveta Culp Hobby
Succession Twelfth [1]
Deputy United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
Salary Executive Schedule, Level I
Website www.hhs.gov

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. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the current secretary of health and human services, having held the position since February 13, 2025. [2]

Contents

The office was formerly known as the secretary of health, education, and welfare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed to Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new United States Department of Education. [3] Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed. [4]

Nominations to the office are referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the United States Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, [5] before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate. The secretary of health of human services is a level I position in the Executive Schedule, [6] thus earning a salary of US$246,400, as of January 2024. [7]

Duties

The flag of the secretary of health, education, and welfare, the predecessor to the current office. Flag of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.png
The flag of the secretary of health, education, and welfare, the predecessor to the current office.

The duties of the secretary revolve around human conditions and concerns in the United States. This includes advising the president on matters of health, welfare, and income security programs. The secretary strives to administer the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out approved programs and make the public aware of the objectives of the department. [8]

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was reorganized into a Department of Education and a Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS).

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 11 agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). [9]

List of secretaries

Parties

   Democratic (9)    Republican (15)    Independent (2)

Status  Denotes acting HHS secretary

Health, education, and welfare

No.PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft office President(s)
1 Hobby-Oveta-Culp.jpg Oveta Culp Hobby Texas April 11, 1953July 31, 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1953–1961)
2 Folsom.jpg Marion B. Folsom New York August 2, 1955July 31, 1958
3 ArthurSFlemming.jpg Arthur Flemming Ohio August 1, 1958January 19, 1961
4 Ribicoff.jpg Abraham Ribicoff Connecticut January 21, 1961July 13, 1962 John F. Kennedy
(1961–1963)
5 Celebrez.jpg Anthony J. Celebrezze Ohio July 31, 1962August 17, 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson
(1963–1969)
6 John W. Gardner, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.jpg John W. Gardner California August 18, 1965March 1, 1968
7 Wilburportrait.jpg Wilbur J. Cohen Michigan May 16, 1968January 20, 1969
8 Robert Finch, 1967.jpg Robert Finch California January 21, 1969June 23, 1970 Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
9 ElliotLeeRichardson.jpg Elliot Richardson Massachusetts June 24, 1970January 29, 1973
10 Caspar Weinberger official photo.jpg Caspar Weinberger California February 12, 1973August 8, 1975
Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
11 F. David Mathews.jpg F. David Mathews Alabama August 8, 1975January 20, 1977
12 Swearing-in of Joseph Califano, Secretary of HEW - NARA - 173478 (cropped).tif Joseph A. Califano Jr. District of Columbia January 25, 1977August 3, 1979 Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
13 Patricia R. Harris official portrait.jpg Patricia Roberts Harris District of Columbia August 3, 1979May 4, 1980 [10]

Health and human services

No.PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft office President(s)
13 Patricia R. Harris official portrait.jpg Patricia Roberts Harris District of Columbia May 4, 1980 [10] January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
14 Secretary Richard Schweiker.jpg Richard Schweiker Pennsylvania January 22, 1981February 3, 1983 Ronald Reagan
(1981–1989)
15 Mmheckler.JPG Margaret Heckler Massachusetts March 10, 1983December 13, 1985
16 Otis R. Bowen.jpg Otis Bowen Indiana December 13, 1985March 1, 1989
17 SullivanLouis.jpg Louis W. Sullivan Georgia March 1, 1989January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush
(1989–1993)
18 Shalala portrait.jpg Donna Shalala Wisconsin January 22, 1993January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton
(1993–2001)
19 Tommy Thompson 1.jpg Tommy Thompson Wisconsin February 2, 2001January 26, 2005 George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
20 Mike Leavitt.jpg Mike Leavitt Utah January 26, 2005January 20, 2009
– JohnsonCharlesE.jpg Charles E. Johnson Utah January 20, 2009April 28, 2009 Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
21 Kathleen Sebelius official portrait (cropped).jpg Kathleen Sebelius Kansas April 28, 2009June 9, 2014
22 Sylvia Mathews Burwell official portrait (cropped).jpg Sylvia Mathews Burwell West Virginia June 9, 2014January 20, 2017
– Norris Cochran (cropped).jpg Norris Cochran Florida January 20, 2017February 10, 2017 Donald Trump
(2017–2021)
23 Tom Price official photo (cropped).jpg Tom Price Georgia February 10, 2017September 29, 2017
– Don J. Wright official portrait (cropped).jpg Don J. Wright Virginia September 29, 2017October 10, 2017
– Eric D. Hargan official photo (cropped).jpg Eric Hargan Illinois October 10, 2017January 29, 2018
24 Alex Azar official portrait (cropped).jpg Alex Azar Indiana January 29, 2018January 20, 2021
– Norris Cochran (cropped).jpg Norris Cochran Florida January 20, 2021March 19, 2021 Joe Biden
(2021–2025)
25 HHS Xavier Becerra (cropped).jpg Xavier Becerra [11] California March 19, 2021January 20, 2025
– Dorothy-Fink.jpg Dorothy Fink Pennsylvania January 20, 2025February 13, 2025 Donald Trump
(2025–present)
26 P20250213JB-0287 (cropped).png Robert F. Kennedy Jr. California February 13, 2025Incumbent

Line of succession

The line of succession for the secretary of health and human services is as follows: [12]

  1. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  2. General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services
  3. Assistant Secretary for Administration
  4. Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
  5. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  6. Commissioner of Food and Drugs
  7. Director of the National Institutes of Health
  8. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
  9. Other assistant secretaries (following in the order they took the oath of office)
    1. Assistant Secretary for Health
    2. Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
    3. Assistant Secretary for Legislation
    4. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
    5. Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
    6. Assistant Secretary for Aging
  10. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  11. Director, Region 4 (Atlanta, Georgia)

References

  1. ↑ "3 U.S. Code § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ Seitz, Amanda (February 13, 2025). "Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sworn in as Trump's health chief after a close Senate vote". Associated Press. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ Holbrook, M. Cay (February 6, 2017). Foundations of Education: History and theory of teaching children and youths with visual impairments. American Foundation for the Blind. ISBN   9780891283409.
  4. ↑ "Patricia R. Harris (1977–1979)—Miller Center". millercenter.org. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Jurisdiction | The United States Senate Committee on Finance". finance.senate.gov. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ 5 U.S.C.   § 5312
  7. ↑ "Salary Table No. 2024-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)" (PDF). Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  8. ↑ "The President's Cabinet". Ben's Guide. February 1, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  9. ↑ "HHS Agencies & Offices | HHS.gov" . Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.
  11. ↑ "Becerra points to Latino successes in his first year as HHS secretary". NBC News . March 18, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Health and Human Services". Federal Register. February 20, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2016.

Marcia Fudge

U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Vacant
as Secretary of Labor 		Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Health and Human Services		Succeeded by
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 12th in line Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.