United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Seal of the department
Flag of the secretary
Incumbent
Denis McDonough
since February 9, 2021
Department of Veterans Affairs
StyleMr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member ofCabinet
Reports toPresident
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
DeputyDeputy Secretary
SalaryExecutive Schedule, level I
WebsiteVA.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). 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.

When the post of secretary is vacant, the deputy secretary or any other person designated by the president serves as acting secretary 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
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
Acting
Arkansas July 13, 1997 January 2, 1998 173 days
3 Togo D. West Jr. District of Columbia January 2, 1998 May 4, 1998 122 days
May 4, 1998 July 25, 2000 2 years, 82 days
Hershel W. Gober
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
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 3 years, 14 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.

3 West served as Acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 to May 4, 1998.

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

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-02-27 11:14 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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