The+Cabinet

Courtney Hall and Gregory Zane

=The Cabinet:= The Presidential Cabinet is comprised of senior appointed officers in the Executive Branch who are usually the heads of the Federal Executive Departments. The Cabinet was first created during the presidency of George Washington in 1789. The first Cabinet only contained four positions: Secretary of State (Thomas Jefferson), Secretary of the Treasury (Alexander Hamilton), Secretary of War (Henry Knox), and Attorney General (Edmund Randolph). In order to become a member of the Cabinet, the Cabinet-hopeful has to be nominated by the President and then confirmed or rejected by the Senate. Cabinet members are hired and fired at the will of the President. The main purpose of the Cabinet is to aid the President by giving advice over different subject matters. = =

= Secretary of State: =

The Secretary of State is the senior official of the Department of State which deals with foreign affairs. Secretary of State is generally seen as one of the most important members of the Cabinet including the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, and Attorney General. Besides being the senior official of the Department of State, the Secretary has the duty to: John Kerry is the 68th Secretary of State. He assumed office on February 1, 2013 and preceded Hillary Clinton. He was born on December 11, 1943 and had served as the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1983-1985. He then became a Senator for Massachusetts and later held the title of Chairman on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations before becoming Secretary of State. John Kerry was nominated by President Obama in 2012 and was met with positive commentary. His confirmation hearing was on January 24, 2013 and he was unanimously supported by Senate with a confirmation vote of 94-3.
 * Advise the President on matters relating to U.S. Foreign Policy.
 * Participate in high-level negotiations with other countries.
 * Provide information for Americans living and traveling abroad.
 * Responsible for overall direction of the United States government overseas. [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/John_Kerry_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait.jpg/220px-John_Kerry_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait.jpg width="218" caption="John Kerry, current Secretary of State"]]

=Secretary of the Treasury:= The Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury. Like the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury is generally seen as one of the most important members of the Cabinet. Besides being the senior official of the Department of the Treasury, the Secretary has the duty of: Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew was born on August 29, 1955. He is a registered Democrat who graduated from both Harvard and Georgetown. During the Obama Administration, Jacob Lew has served as the Deputy Secretary of State, the Budget Director, Chief of Staff, and finally Secretary of State. On February 27, 2013, the full Senate voted and approved Jacob Lew as the Secretary of the Treasury by a vote of 71-26. He was officially sworn into office on February 28, 2013.
 * Managing Federal finances
 * Collecting taxes and duties due to the U.S. and paying the bills of the U.S.
 * Managing Currency and Coinage
 * Managing Government Accounts and the Public Debt
 * Advising the President on domestic and international financial, monetary, economic, trade, and tax policies.
 * Enforcing Federal Finance Laws.

=Secretary of Defense:= The Secretary of Defense is the senior official of the Department of Defense which deals with national security and the United States Armed Forces. Secretary of Defense is generally seen as one of the most important members of the Cabinet. The Secretary of Defense is the head official of the largest employer on the planet with 3.2 million servicemen and servicewomen plus the civilians that support it. The Department of Defense is located in the world famous Pentagon Building. The Department of Defense also receives the highest level of budgetary funds. Besides being the senior official of the Department of Defense, the Secretary has the duty of: Secretary of the Defense Chuck Hagel was born on October 4, 1946. He is a registered Republican who graduated from Brown College and the University of Nebraska. From 1997-2009, Chuck Hagel was a Senator from Nebraska. He was the first Republican to win a Senate seat in Nebraska in twenty-four years. He served on many different committees, mostly dealing with foreign policy and finances. On February 26, 2013, Senate voted and approved Chuck Hagel as the Secretary of the Treasury by a vote of 58-41. He was officially sworn into office on February 27, 2013. =Attorney General:= The Attorney General is the senior official of the Department of Justice which deals with legal affairs dealing with the United States. Attorney General is also generally seen as one of the most important members of the Cabinet when it comes to advising power. Besides being the senior official of the Department of State, the Secretary has the main duty of being the chief enforcer of the law in the United States Government meaning he is the Chief Lawyer of the United States. Attorney General is the only position in the Cabinet that is not given the title of "Secretary". Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. is the 82nd Office Holder of the Attorney General. He first became the Attorney General back in 2009. He was born on January 21, 1951. He is a registered Democrat and attended Columbia University. He was Deputy Attorney General from 1997-2001 during the Clinton Administration. From 2001-2009, Eric Holder ran his own private practice in Washington D.C. In 2009, he was nominated by President Obama as the 82nd Attorney General. He was officially confirmed by the Senate on February 2, 2009 by a vote of 75-21. =Secretary of the Interior:= The Secretary of the Interior is the senior official of the United States Department of the Interior which deals with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Geological Survey. Because most of the activity dealing with the Department of the Interior lies west of the Mississippi, especially in areas where National Parks are prevalent, the Secretary of the Interior usually comes from a Western State that deals heavily with the Department. Besides being the senior official of the Department of the Interior, the Secretary has the duty of: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar was born on March 2, 1955 and is a registered Democrat. He attended Colorado College and the University of Michigan. He was the 36th Attorney General for the State of Colorado from 1999 to 2005. After leaving the Colorado Attorney General position, Ken Salazar became a Colorado Senator from 2005-2009. Salazar later accepted President Obama's nomination for Secretary of the Interior and was approved by the Senate by voice vote on January 20, 2009. He has been the Secretary of the Interior since his election into the Secretary position. =Secretary of Agriculture:= The Secretary of Agriculture is the senior official of the Department of Agriculture which deals with U.S. policy on farming, agriculture, forestry and food. The Secretary of Agriculture plays a similar role to Agriculture Ministers which are used in many other countries like Australia, China, and Mexico. In general, Secretary's of Agriculture generally come from Mid-West states that deal largely with farming. Besides being the senior official of the Department of State, the Secretary has the duty of: Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was born in Pittsburgh, PA on December 13, 1950. He was placed in an orphanage but was adopted a year later. He is a registered Democrat who attended Hamilton College and the Albany Law School. He was first elected in 1987 as the Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa which later helped him gain the victory for the Iowa Senate in 1992. From 1999 to 2007, Tom Vilsack was the 40th Governor of Iowa. Vilsack was nominated by President Obama in 2008 as the Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate unanimously confirmed Vilsack's nomination on January 20, 2009. He is still the Secretary of Agriculture as President Obama begins his second term. =Secretary of Commerce:= The Secretary of Commerce is the senior official of the United States Department of Commerce which deals with business and industry. The formation of the position was on March 15, 1913. The first United States Secretary of Commerce was William Cox Redfield who advised under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. Besides being the senior official of the Department of State, the Secretary has the duty to: Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank was born on September 9th, 1955, in Columbia, Missouri. She is a registered Democrat who attended the University of Minnesota and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was the Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs from June 9, 2009 to March 29, 2012. She then assumed office as United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce in 2010. She is currently the Acting Secretary of Commerce, proceeding John Bryson because of medical leave, which she has been before. On August 1, 2011, after Secretary Locke became U.S. Ambassador to China, Rebecca Blank became Acting Secretary until President Obama nominated John Bryson on October 21, 2011.
 * Authority, direction, and control over the Department of Defense.
 * The principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense.
 * Only the President has a higher command over the Department of Defense.
 * Protecting Natural Resources
 * Protecting Heritage Sites
 * Dealing with Cultural and Tribal Issues
 * Performing U.S. Geologic Surveys.
 * Creating standards on food products throughout the country.
 * Lead inspections on organizations and food products to maintain public safety.
 * Regulating the price of food for Americans.
 * Develop Foreign and Domestic Commerce
 * Formulate Foreign Trade Policy
 * Development of Economic and Tax Policy
 * Oversee Policy Pertaining to Business and Industry.

=Secretary of Labor=

The Secretary of Labor is the chief executive in the United States Department of Labor, a division of the government that is concerned with workers' rights and dealings between businesses and individuals. The Department of Labor was originally part of a joint department which combined labor and commerce into the Department of Labor and Commerce, but was eventually granted its own department. The first Secretary of Labor, William B. Wilson, took office on March 6, 1913. The position has since been held by seven women, more than in any other Cabinet-level department. The Secretary of Labor oversees issues concerning youth labor, unemployment, minimum wage and working hours, retirees, and workplace safety, among others. The most recent Secretary of Labor was Hilda Solis, but she resigned on January 21, 2013. The acting Secretary of Labor is Seth D. Harris.



Acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris was born on October 12, 1962. He attended first Cornell University, and then New York University, where he taught Law and was the Director of the Labor and Employment Law Programs. Under the Clinton administration, Harris was Counselor to the Secretary and served several other roles under the Department of Labor. He is a strong advocate of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the National Labor Relations Act. He has spoken out against workplace discrimination and has worked in the past with the United Cerebral Palsy Association. On January 22, 2013, Harris assumed the role of Acting Secretary of Labor after Hilda Solis retired. = Secretary of Health and Human Services = The Secretary of Health and Human Services is the chief executive of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The position formerly also included the areas of Education and Welfare, and was created on April 11, 1953. The Department of Health and Human Services became a separate department on May 4, 1980. The first Secretary of this Department was Patricia R. Harris. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act helped to expand the powers of the Department. The duties of the Secretary of Health and Human Services include issues pertaining to health, human welfare, income security, and medical insurance. The current Secretary is Kathleen Sebelius.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius was born on May 15, 1948, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She received a degree in Political Science from Trinity Washington University in Washington D.C. She also earned her Master's in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. Sebelius moved to Kansas in 1974 and worked for the state for sixteen years before becoming the Governor of Kansas in 2002. She is a strong Democrat. Sebelius became the Secretary of Health and Human Services on April 28, 2009. Since 2004, there have been several rumors of her candidacy for either President or Vice President, but Sebelius has never acted on any of these rumors. She is married, and has two children.

=Secretary of Housing and Urban Development=

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development heads the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The position was created on September 9, 1965, and the first Secretary was Robert C. Weaver. The Department of HUD was the first Cabinet-level Department to have African American, female African American, and Hispanic Secretaries. The Secretary has the duties "to increase home-ownership, support community development, and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination."

Shaun Donovan was born on January 24, 1966, in New York. He graduated received his Bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1987. He earned is Master's in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and his Master's in Architecture in 1995 from the Graduate School of Design. Donovan worked, during the Clinton administration, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing, under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was also the acting Commissioner for the Federal Housing Association. In 2004 he became the Commissioner for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. On January 26, 2009, he became the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. =  Secretary of Transportation   = The Secretary of Transportation heads the United States Department of Transportation, which was created on October 15, 1966. The first Secretary of Transportation, Alan Stephenson Boyd, took office on January 16, 1967. The Secretary of Transportation is fourteenth in line for the Presidency. The mission of the Department of Transportation is to "serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future." The current Secretary of Transportation is Ray LaHood.



Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was born on December 6, 1945. He is a Republican who hails from Peoria, Illinois. LaHood studied at Canton Junior College and Bradley University, earning his Bachelors in Education and Sociology in 1971. He taught elementary school children for a time before becoming interested in politics. He worked as a United States Representative for the state of Illinois and held several other government-level positions before becoming the Secretary of Transportation on January 26, 2009. = Secretary of Energy = The Secretary of Energy heads the United States Department of Energy. The position was created on August 6, 1977, by President Jimmy Carter. The first Secretary of Energy was James Schlesinger, who took office on August 6, 1977. The Secretary of Energy is fifteenth in line for the Presidency. The duties of the Secretary of Energy include energy production and regulation, research and development of more efficient energy sources, education about energy, radioactive waste disposal and maintaining the quality of the environment. The current Secretary of Energy is Steven Chu. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, who was born on February 28, 1948, in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Chu earned degrees in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Rochester in 1970. He later earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California (Berkeley campus). Dr. Chu won a Nobel Prize for his work at Bell Labs, concerning lasers. He has worked as a researcher and professor at several distinguished universities, including UoC Berkeley and Stanford. On January 21, 2009, he was made Secretary of Education. He is the first Cabinet-level Secretary to gain that position after winning a Nobel Prize. On February 1, 2013, Dr. Chu announced his resignation. He will remain in office until a new secretary is appointed. = Secretary of Education = The Secretary of Education is the chief executive of the United States Department of Education. The position was created on November 30, 1979, by President Jimmy Carter. The first Secretary of Education was Shirley Hufstedler, who took office on November 30, 1979. The mission of the Department of Education is to "promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access."  The Department of Education focuses specifically on four main goals:
 * 1) Policies related to education funding, distribution of funds and watching their use.
 * 2) Collecting data and research on schools in the United States
 * 3) Identify education's main issues and focus on them on a national level
 * 4) Enforce federal laws against discrimination in federally-funded education programs



The current Secretary of Education is Arny Duncan. Duncan was born November 6, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the Hyde Park neighborhood but spent much of his childhood playing with and tutoring children in the poorer Kenwood neighborhood. Duncan earned his Bachelor's in Sociology from Harvard University, where he had done his senior thesis on the Kenwood neighborhood. He played professional basketball in Australia for several years, before returning to the United States. He worked in several education-oriented careers, including the position of the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. On January 20, 2009, Duncan was made the Secretary of Education. His children attend public school in Virginia. He is a Democrat. = Secretary of Veteran's Affairs = The Secretary of Veteran's Affairs is the chief executive of the United States Department of Veteran's Affairs. The position was created on March 15, 1989, by President George H. W. Bush. The first Secretary of Veteran's Affairs was Ed Derwinski, who took office on March 15, 1989. The Department concerns itself mainly with veterans' benefits. Every Secretary of Veteran's Affairs so far has been a retired member of the military, but that is not a requirement to gain office. To date, there have been seven Secretaries and four acting Secretaries. The current Secretary of Veteran's Affairs is Eric Shinseki. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Ken Shinseki was born on November 28, 1942, in Lihue, Hawaii. He attended the United States Military Academy and graduated in 1965. He also has a degree in English Literature from Duke University, and has attended several other universities. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, during which he sustained a foot injury. Shinseki is a four-star retired general. He has served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, and the Chief of Staff, for the Army. He has also worked for several private companies and military contractors. On January 20, 2009, Shinseki became the Secretary of Veteran's Affairs. He is married, and has two children. = Secretary of Homeland Security = The Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief executive of the newest Cabinet-level department: The Department of Homeland Security. Created on November 25, 2002, in response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the DHS is the third-largest Cabinet-level department in the federal government. It contains over 240,000 employees. The first Secretary of Homeland Security was Republican Tom Ridge. The current Secretary is Janet Napolitano, the first female and the first Democrat to hold the position. The Department of Homeland Security overlooks a variety of areas, including anti-terrorism efforts, defense against and recovery from natural disasters, and the prevention of man-made accidents.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was born on November 29, 1957, in New York City, New York. She graduated from Santa Clara University in California, and then from the University of Virginia School of Law. She worked for a time as a lawyer in Arizona. She is a democrat. She served as the Governor of Arizona and was considered as the running mate of President-hopeful John Kerry, but was passed over for Senator John Edwards. On January 20, 2009, she became the third Secretary of Homeland Security. She has never married and has no children. = Other = Other Cabinet-level officers include: *Acting Director =Quiz:= 1. Name one of the first Secretary's in George Washington's Cabinet
 * Vice President (Joe Biden)
 * White House Chief of Staff (Denis McDonough)
 * Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Jeffrey Zients) *
 * Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Bob Perciasepe) *
 * Trade Representative (Ron Kirk)
 * Ambassador to the United Nations (Susan Rice)
 * Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers (Alan Krueger)
 * Administrator of the Small Business Administration (Karen Mills)

2. Which Secretary is the head of the world's largest employer? a. John Kerry b. Jacob Lew c. Chuck Hagel d. Eric Holder

3. Who is the Secretary of the Interior?

4. Which Secretary can advise President Obama on food price regulation?

5. Who was the Secretary of State before John Kerry? a. Colin Powell b. Hillary Clinton c. Condoleezza Rice d. Warren Christopher

6. Which of the following does the Secretary of Labor NOT oversee? a. Youth labor b. Unemployment c. Workplace conditions d. Product quality control

7. When was the Department of Health and Human Services created?

8. What is one duty of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development?

9. Ray LaHood is the Secretary of what department?

10. Which department handles the disposal of nuclear waste?

11. Arne Duncan worked as the CEO of what city's Public School System?

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_States http://www.state.gov/secretary/index.htm http://www.defense.gov/home/top-leaders/ http://www.treasury.gov/about/Pages/Secretary.aspx http://www.justice.gov/ag/ http://www.doi.gov/whoweare/secretarysalazar.cfm http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=bios_vilsack.xml&contentidonly=true http://www.commerce.gov/about-commerce/commerce-leadership http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet http://www.dol.gov/_sec/aboutosec/bio-harris.htm http://www.hhs.gov/ http://www.dot.gov/secretary http://energy.gov/contributors/secretary-energy-dr-steven-chu http://www.ed.gov/ http://www.va.gov/opa/bios/bio_shinseki.asp http://www.dhs.gov/