United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Infobox US Cabinet
post = United States Secretary
of Veterans Affairs
insignia = US-DeptOfVeteransAffairs-Seal.svg
insigniasize = 140px
insigniacaption = Official Seal

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incumbent = James Peake
incumbentsince = December 20, 2007
first = Ed Derwinski
formation = March 15, 1989
succession = Seventeenth
website = [http://www.va.gov/ www.va.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 and related matters". The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and second to last at 17th 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 [ [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ177.109 Public Law 109-177] §.503] ). To date, all appointees and acting appointees to the post have been United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.

Chronological lists

ecretaries

Acting secretaries

When the post of Secretary is vacant, the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairsusc2|38|304|Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Accessed 2008-01-13.] 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.

Notes & references

small|Some sources, such as the "World Almanac" [cite book
last = Joyce
first = C. Alan
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2008
publisher = World Almanac Books
date = 2008
location = New York
pages = 430
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 978-1600570728 ] and Encarta [MSN Encarta. [http://encarta.msn.com/media_461529241/Bill_Clinton%E2%80%99s_Cabinet.html Bill Clinton’s Cabinet] . Microsoft Corporation. Accessed 2008-01-15.] list Acting Secretary Gober's second time as Acting Secretary in 2000-01 ether as a member of President Clinton's cabinet or with the other Veterans Affairs secretaries. Other sources, such as Infoplease [Infoplease.com. [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0101275.html Cabinet Members Under Clinton] . Pearson Education, Inc. Accessed 2008-01-15.] and the "The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents" [cite book | last = Degregorio | first = William | title = The Complete Book of U. S. Presidents | publisher = Wings Books | location = New York | pages = 732 | year = 2001 | isbn = 0517183536 ] do not.