1. The Cabinet
Unit IV

2. Qualifications? Loyal to President? Loyal to Party?
Qualified or expertise in area?
President nominates and U.S. Senate confirms
Why may a nominee be rejected?

3. Obama Cabinet July 2012

4. Department of State (1789)
Plans and carries out the nation’s foreign policy objectives
Embassies; Consulates; Passports (Visas)*
Current Secretary-John Kerry*

5. Department of Treasury (1789)
Collects, borrows, spends and prints money
IRS; Customs; Mint;
Current secretary- Jack Lew*

6. Department of Defense (1949)*
Manages the Armed Forces
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines
825,000+ served and serving; $270 B+
Current secretary- Charles “Chuck” Hagel*

7. Department of Justice (1870)
Responsibility for all aspects of law enforcement
FBI; Federal Prisons; Court Cases
Brings forth cases on behalf of Nation
Current attorney general- Eric H. Holder, Jr.

8. Department of Interior (1849)
Manages and protects the nation’s public lands and natural resources
National Parks; Forest and Wildlife Service
Also, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Current secretary- Kenneth Salazar

9. Department of Agriculture (1889)
Assists farmers and consumers of farm products
USDA, Food Inspection
Also, Soil Conservation and Subsidies
Current secretary- Thomas Vilsack

10. Department of Commerce (1903)
Supervises trade, promotes United States tourism, and businesses
Patents, Census Bureau
Also, NOAA and NWS
Current secretary- acting Rebecca Blank*

11. Department of Labor (1913)
Concerned with working conditions and wages of United States’ workers
OSHA, Unemployment
Also, BLS
Current secretary- acting Seth D. Harris*

12. Department of HHS (1953)
Works for the health and well-being of all Americans
SSA, Family Support, CDC, NIH
Also, FDA
Current secretary- Kathleen Sebelius

13. Department of HUD (1965)
Deals with the special needs, problems abd distribution of various items in cities and some rural areas
Subsidized housing and creation of Affordable Housing
Current secretary- Shaun Donovan

14. Department of Transportation (1966)
Manages the nation’s highways, railroads, airlines, and sea traffic
NTSB, FAA, Coast Guard, NHTSA
Current secretary- Raymond LaHood

15. Department of Energy (1977)
Directs and implements the nation’s energy plan and consumption
Alternative fuels-Ethanol, Biodiesel, etc.
Petroleum, Coal, and Natural Gas
Nuclear Program
Current secretary- Steven Chu

16. Department of Education (1979)
Provides advice and funding to school districts through state grants
"Free Public Education”
Special Education, NCLB
Current secretary- Arne Duncan

17. Department of Veterans Affairs (1989)
Directs services for American’s veterans
Veterans Administration (VA)
Hospitals, etc.
Current secretary- Eric Shinseki

18. Department of Homeland Security (2002)
Direct security initiatives for federal agencies and governments at local, state, and federal levels
TSA, Coast Guard, Secret Service
USCIS formerly the INS
Current secretary- Janet Napolitano

19. Cabinet Rank Members White House Chief of Staff- Denis McDonough*
Environmental Protection Agency-Robert Perciasepe*
Office of Management and Budget- Jeffery Zients*
U.S. Trade Representative- Demetrius Marantis*
U.S. Ambassador to U.N.- Susan Rice
Council of Economic Affairs- Alan Krueger*
Small Business Administration- Karen G. Mills

20. The Cabinet
Unit IV