Presidential Cabinet
The United States Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government. The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. One of the principal purposes of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices (according to Article II, section 2, of the U.S. Constitution).
The U.S. Cabinet is composed of the Vice President and the heads of the 15 executive departments:
- Vice President of the United States - Joe Biden
- Attorney General - Eric H. Holder Jr.
- Secretary of Agriculture - Tom J. Vilsack
- Acting Secretary of Commerce - Rebecca M. Blank
- Secretary of Defense - Chuck Hagel
- Secretary of Education - Arne Duncan
- Secretary of Energy - Steven Chu
- Secretary of Health and Human Services - Kathleen Sebelius
- Secretary of Homeland Security - Janet Napolitano
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - Shaun Donovan
- Secretary of Interior - Ken Salazar
- Acting Secretary of Labor - Seth D. Harris
- Secretary of State - John Kerry
- Secretary of Transportation - Ray H. LaHood
- Secretary of the Treasury - Jacob J. Lew
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Eric K. Shinseki
These individuals follow the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate in the presidential order of succession.
Additionally, the President granted Cabinet-level rank to:
- Chief of Staff to the President - Denis McDonough
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Bob Perciasepe
- Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - Jeffrey Zients
- U.S. Trade Representative - Ambassador Ronald Kirk
- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) - Ambassador Susan Rice
- Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers - Alan B. Krueger
- Administrator of the Small Business Administration - Karen G. Mills
Need More Information? Try These Additional Resources:
- Information on the President's Cabinet
- How to Contact Presidential Appointees
- Presidential Transition
- The Plum Book and Presidential Transition Jobs
- Presidential Debates
- National Security Council (NSC)
- U.S. Constitution
The short link for this FAQ is http://1.usa.gov/ogHMML
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