The President’s Cabinet
The Constitution makes no mention of
the Cabinet, nor did Congress create
it. Instead, the Cabinet is the
product of custom and usage.
•
George Washington
appointed four people
to the first four
“executive posts”
1. Secretary of State
2. Secretary of the
Treasury
3. Secretary of War
4. Attorney General
Secretary of State –
Condoleezza Rice
• advises the
President on foreign
policy
• represents the U.S.
abroad and in
international
organizations
• negotiates
agreements with
foreign countries
Secretary of the Treasury –
Henry Paulson
• dept. produces coins,
bills
• borrows $ and
manages public debt
• enforces alcohol,
tobacco, and
firearms laws
Secretary of Defense –
Robert Gates
• dept. provides
military forces to
deter war and
protects the nation’s
security
Attorney General –
Michael Mukasey
• dept. provides legal
advice to President
• represents U.S. in
court
• oversees immigration
and naturalization
• enforces federal
laws
• operates federal
prisons
Secretary of the Interior –
Dirk Kempthorne
• manages public lands,
wildlife refuges, and
national parks
• operates
hydroelectric power
plants
• helps Native Am.
manage their affairs
Secretary of Agriculture –
Ed Schafer
• manages national
forests
• assists farmers and
ranchers
• administers food
stamps and school
lunch programs
• inspects food
Secretary of Commerce –
Carlos Gutierrez
• conducts census
• grants patents and
registers
trademarks
• promotes
international trade,
economic growth, &
technological
development
Secretary of Labor –
Elaine Chao
• enforces federal laws on
minimum wages,
maximum hours and safe
working conditions
• operates job training
programs
• administers
unemployment insurance
& workers’ compensation
programs
Secretary of Health and Human
Services – Mike Leavitt
• funds health care
research programs
• conducts programs
to prevent and
control disease
• enforces pure food
and drug laws
• administers
Medicare and
Medicaid
Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development – acting secretary
Roy Bernardi
• operates homefinancing and public
housing programs
• enforces fair
housing laws
Secretary of Transportation –
Mary Peters
• administers
programs to regulate
highways, mass
transit, railroads,
waterways, air
travel, and oil and
gas pipelines
• enforces maritime
(sea) law
Secretary of Energy –
Samuel Bodman
• promotes production
of renewable energy,
fossil fuels, &
nuclear energy
• transmits & sells
hydroelectric power
• conducts nuclear
weapons research
and production
Secretary of Education –
Margaret Spellings
• administers federal
aid to schools
• conducts educational
research
Secretary of Veterans Affairs –
Dr. James Peake
• administers
benefits, pensions,
and medical
programs for
veterans of armed
forces
• oversees military
cemeteries
Secretary of Homeland Security
Michael Chertoff
• established a
National
Counterterrorism
Center
• established a
Domestic Nuclear
Detection Office
• appointed a Privacy
and Civil Liberties
Oversight Board
Cabinet-level posts
• Vice President: Dick
Cheney
• Chief of Staff: Josh
Bolten
• Environmental
Protection Agency:
Steve Johnson
• Office of
Management and
Budget: Jim Nussle
• Office of National
Drug Control Policy:
John Walters
• U.S. Trade
Representative:
Susan Schwab