United States Secretary 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, 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.

United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Seal of the department
Flag of the secretary
Incumbent
Denis McDonough
since February 9, 2021
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
StyleMr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member ofCabinet
Reports toPresident of the United States
SeatWashington, D.C.
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrument38 U.S.C. § 303
FormationMarch 15, 1989
First holderEd Derwinski
SuccessionSeventeenth[1]
DeputyDeputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
SalaryExecutive Schedule, level I
WebsiteVA.gov

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. Secretary Term of office President(s)
Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office Term length
1 Ed Derwinski Illinois March 15, 1989 September 26, 1992 3 years, 195 days George H. W. Bush
– Anthony Principi[1]
Acting		 California September 26, 1992 January 20, 1993 116 days
2 Jesse Brown Illinois January 22, 1993 July 13, 1997 4 years, 172 days Bill Clinton
– Hershel W. Gober[2]
Acting		 Arkansas July 13, 1997 January 2, 1998 173 days
3 Togo D. West Jr. District of Columbia January 2, 1998[3] May 4, 1998 122 days
May 4, 1998 July 25, 2000 2 years, 82 days
– Hershel W. Gober[2]
Acting		 Arkansas July 25, 2000 January 20, 2001 179 days
4 Anthony Principi California January 23, 2001 January 26, 2005 4 years, 3 days George W. Bush
5 Jim Nicholson Colorado January 26, 2005 October 1, 2007 2 years, 248 days
– Gordon H. Mansfield[4]
Acting		 Florida October 1, 2007 December 20, 2007 80 days
6 James Peake District of Columbia December 20, 2007 January 20, 2009 1 year, 31 days
7 Eric Shinseki Hawaii January 20, 2009 May 30, 2014 5 years, 130 days Barack Obama
– Sloan D. Gibson
Acting		 Alabama May 30, 2014 July 30, 2014 61 days
8 Bob McDonald Ohio July 30, 2014 January 20, 2017 2 years, 174 days
– Robert Snyder
Acting		 West Virginia January 20, 2017 February 14, 2017 25 days Donald Trump
9 David Shulkin Pennsylvania February 14, 2017 March 28, 2018 1 year, 42 days
– Robert Wilkie
Acting		 North Carolina March 28, 2018 May 29, 2018 62 days
– Peter O'Rourke
Acting		 Virginia May 29, 2018 July 30, 2018 62 days
10 Robert Wilkie North Carolina July 30, 2018 January 20, 2021 2 years, 174 days
– Dat Tran
Acting

Ohio

 January 20, 2021 February 9, 2021 20 days Joe Biden
11 Denis McDonough Minnesota February 9, 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 254 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

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. 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.
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