United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

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United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Seal of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.svg
Seal of the department
Flag of the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.svg
Flag of the secretary
Secretary McDonough, official photo (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Denis McDonough
since February 9, 2021
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Style Mr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member of United States Cabinet
Reports to President of the United States
Seat Washington, D.C.
AppointerThe President of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Term length No fixed term
Constituting instrument 38 U.S.C.   § 303
FormationMarch 15, 1989
First holder Ed Derwinski
Succession Seventeenth [1]
Deputy United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Salary Executive Schedule, level I
Website VA.gov

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 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 [2] ). 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.

Contents

When the post of secretary is vacant, the deputy secretary [3] or any other person designated by the president serves as acting secretary [3] until the president nominates and the United States Senate confirms a new secretary.

Denis McDonough is currently serving as the 11th secretary of veterans affairs since February 9, 2021 under President Joe Biden.

List of secretaries of veterans affairs

Parties

   No party (2)    Democratic (3)    Republican (6)

Status
   Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs
No.SecretaryTerm of office President(s)
PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft officeTerm length
1 Ed derwinski.jpg Ed Derwinski Illinois March 15, 1989September 26, 19923 years, 195 days George H. W. Bush
Anthony Principi.jpg Anthony Principi [1]
Acting
California September 26, 1992January 20, 1993116 days
2 Jesse brown va.jpg Jesse Brown Illinois January 22, 1993July 13, 19974 years, 172 days Bill Clinton
Gober sm.jpg Hershel W. Gober [2]
Acting
Arkansas July 13, 1997January 2, 1998173 days
3 TogoDWest.jpg Togo D. West Jr. District of Columbia January 2, 1998 [3] May 4, 1998122 days
May 4, 1998July 25, 20002 years, 82 days
Gober sm.jpg Hershel W. Gober [2]
Acting
Arkansas July 25, 2000January 20, 2001179 days
4 Anthony Principi.jpg Anthony Principi California January 23, 2001January 26, 20054 years, 3 days George W. Bush
5 JimNicholson.jpg Jim Nicholson Colorado January 26, 2005October 1, 20072 years, 248 days
Gordon H. Mansfield.jpg Gordon H. Mansfield [4]
Acting
Florida October 1, 2007December 20, 200780 days
6 PeakeJames.jpg James Peake District of Columbia December 20, 2007January 20, 20091 year, 31 days
7 Eric Shinseki official Veterans Affairs portrait.jpg Eric Shinseki Hawaii January 20, 2009May 30, 20145 years, 130 days Barack Obama
Sloan Gibson.jpg Sloan D. Gibson
Acting
Alabama May 30, 2014July 30, 201461 days
8 Robert A. McDonald Official Portrait.jpg Bob McDonald Ohio July 30, 2014January 20, 20172 years, 174 days
Robert Snyder.jpg Robert Snyder
Acting
West Virginia January 20, 2017February 14, 201725 days Donald Trump
9 David Shulkin official photo (cropped).jpg David Shulkin Pennsylvania February 14, 2017March 28, 20181 year, 42 days
Robert L. Wilkie acting SECVA official photo (cropped).jpg Robert Wilkie
Acting
North Carolina March 28, 2018May 29, 201862 days
Peter O'Rourke official photo (cropped).jpg Peter O'Rourke
Acting
Virginia May 29, 2018July 30, 201862 days
10 Robert Wilkie official portrait (cropped).jpg Robert Wilkie North Carolina July 30, 2018January 20, 20212 years, 174 days
Acting US Secretary of VA Dat P Tran (cropped).jpg Dat Tran
Acting

Ohio

January 20, 2021February 9, 202120 days Joe Biden
11 Secretary McDonough, official photo (cropped).jpg Denis McDonough Minnesota February 9, 2021Incumbent3 years, 54 days

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 13, 1997 – January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000 – January 20, 2001. [4]

3 West served as Acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 [5] to May 4, 1998. [6]

4 Gordon H. Mansfield served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs October 1 – December 20, 2007. [7]

See also

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References

  1. "3 U.S. Code § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act".
  2. Public Law 109-177 §.503
  3. 1 2 38 U.S.C.   § 304 : Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Accessed January 13, 2008.
  4. "Gober Takes Over Top Spot at VA" (Press release). Department of Veterans Affairs. July 25, 2000. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
  5. "President Clinton Names Togo D. West Jr. As Acting Secretary Of The Department Of Veterans' Affairs" (Press release). White House. December 2, 1997. Archived from the original on October 5, 2006. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  6. Staff (May 1999). "The Honorable Togo D. West Jr". United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  7. UPI. Peake sworn in as VA secretary Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , December 20, 2007. Accessed December 21, 2007.
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Secretary of Education Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Succeeded byas Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 17th in line Succeeded by