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
Robert Wilkie
since July 30, 2018
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
StyleMr. Secretary
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 United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs[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.

List of Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
Parties

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

Status
  Denotes Acting Secretary
No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President(s)
1 Ed Derwinski Illinois March 15, 1989 September 26, 1992 George H. W. Bush
– Anthony Principi[1]
Acting		 California September 26, 1992 January 20, 1993
2 Jesse Brown Illinois January 22, 1993 July 1, 1997 Bill Clinton
– Hershel W. Gober[2]
Acting		 Arkansas July 1, 1997 January 2, 1998
3 Togo D. West Jr. District of Columbia January 2, 1998[3] May 5, 1998
May 5, 1998 July 25, 2000
– Hershel W. Gober[2]
Acting		 Arkansas July 25, 2000 January 20, 2001
4 Anthony Principi California January 23, 2001 January 26, 2005 George W. Bush
5 Jim Nicholson Colorado January 26, 2005 October 1, 2007
– Gordon H. Mansfield[4]
Acting		 Florida October 1, 2007 December 20, 2007
6 James Peake District of Columbia December 20, 2007 January 20, 2009
7 Eric Shinseki Hawaii January 20, 2009 May 30, 2014 Barack Obama
– Sloan D. Gibson
Acting		 Alabama May 30, 2014 July 30, 2014
8 Bob McDonald Ohio July 30, 2014 January 20, 2017
– Robert Snyder
Acting		 West Virginia January 20, 2017 February 14, 2017 Donald Trump
9 David Shulkin Pennsylvania February 14, 2017 March 28, 2018
– Robert Wilkie
Acting		 North Carolina March 28, 2018 May 29, 2018
– Peter O'Rourke
Acting		 Virginia May 29, 2018 July 30, 2018
10 Robert Wilkie North Carolina July 30, 2018 Incumbent

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.[4]

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

Living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
See also: List of living former members of the United States Cabinet

As of August 2020, there are six living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs (with all Secretaries that have served since 2001 still living), the oldest being Jim Nicholson (served 2005–2007, born 1938). The most recent Secretary of Veterans Affairs to die, as well as the recently serving Secretary to die, was Togo D. West, Jr. (served 1998–2000, born 1942), on March 8, 2018.

NameTerm of officeDate of birth (and age)
Anthony Principi 2001–2005 (1944-04-16) April 16, 1944
Jim Nicholson 2005–2007 (1938-02-04) February 4, 1938
James Peake 2007–2009 (1944-06-18) June 18, 1944
Eric Shinseki 2009–2014 (1942-11-28) November 28, 1942
Robert A. McDonald 2014–2017 (1953-06-20) June 20, 1953
David Shulkin 2017–2018 (1959-07-22) July 22, 1959
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See also

References
  1. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19
  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. 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 by
Betsy DeVos
as Secretary of Education		 Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Veterans Affairs		 Succeeded by
Kirstjen Nielsen
as Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Secretary of Education
Betsy Devos		 17th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of Homeland Security
Kirstjen Nielsen
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