Style Mr. Secretary Reports to The President Term length No fixed term | Member of Cabinet Seat Washington, D.C. | |
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Appointer The President
with Senate advice and consent | ||
The United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs is the head of the U.S. 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.
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When the post of Secretary is vacant, the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs 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.
List of Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
No party (2) Democratic (2) Republican (5)
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 1, 1997—January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000—January 20, 2001.
3 West served as acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 to May 5, 1998.
4 Gordon H. Mansfield served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs October 1—December 20, 2007.
Living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
As of April 2017, there are six living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, the oldest being Jim Nicholson (served 2005-2007, born 1938). The most recent Secretary of Veterans Affairs to die was Ed Derwinski (served 1989-1992, born 1926), on January 15, 2012. The most recently serving Secretary to die was Jesse Brown (served 1993-1997, born 1944) on August 15, 2002.