Cabinet of the United States

The Cabinet of the United States is the main group that gives advice to the president. The Cabinet meets with the president in the Cabinet Room next to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House. The president leads these meetings but is not officially part of the Cabinet. The vice president of the United States is a member of the Cabinet by law. The leaders of different departments, chosen by the president and approved by the Senate, are also part of the Cabinet. These leaders run their departments and report directly to the president.

The Cabinet does not have its own powers or vote; it simply advises the president. There are 23 members: the vice president, 15 department leaders, and 7 other important officials. Most of these members need to be approved by the Senate. During meetings, members sit based on when their department was created, with the oldest department closest to the president. The president can remove any Cabinet member at any time without needing Senate approval. The Constitution of the United States does not create the Cabinet directly, but its role comes from the president's need for advice from department leaders. The secretary of state is the highest-ranking Cabinet member after the vice president.

History

The idea of the Cabinet started during discussions at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. They talked about whether the president would make decisions alone or with a group of advisors called a cabinet of ministers or a privy council. The Constitution gives all executive power to the president but allows the president to ask for written advice from the main officers in each department.

George Washington, the first president, created the first Cabinet. It included five important leaders: the Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. The vice president was not part of the Cabinet at first.

Over time, presidents have used their Cabinets in different ways. Some wanted a group that worked more like a team, but others did not. Today, Cabinets often include important staff from the White House and leaders from different agencies.

Federal law

Federal law helps guide how the president can share responsibilities with the Cabinet. It allows leaders of government departments to make decisions for the president in their areas without needing to ask each time.

The law also stops leaders from hiring close family members for important jobs, including Cabinet positions. When a leader needs to step in temporarily, the law explains who can take over from within the department.

Confirmation process

The leaders of government departments and agencies are chosen by the president and then must be approved by the Senate. If approved, they officially start their jobs. When the Senate is not meeting, the president can temporarily choose leaders for the departments.

An elected vice president does not need Senate approval, and neither does the White House chief of staff.

Salary

Main article: Executive Schedule

Leaders of government departments and many other important federal workers receive their pay under a set plan called the Executive Schedule. As of January 2025^[update], the top leaders earn an annual salary of $250,600. The vice president earns $284,600. This salary level was set by a law in 1989 and includes automatic updates for the cost of living.

Current Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials

See also: Second cabinet of Donald Trump

The people listed here were chosen by President Donald Trump to be part of his team. They were approved by the United States Senate on the dates shown, or they are acting as leaders of departments until new leaders are confirmed.

Vice president and the heads of the executive departments

See also: United States federal executive departments

The Cabinet always includes the vice president and the leaders of 15 main departments. They are listed here based on their order of succession to the presidency. The speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate come after the vice president but before the secretary of state in the order of succession. However, they are part of the legislative branch and are not members of the Cabinet.

Cabinet-level officials

The president can choose to add more positions to the Cabinet. These can change with each president. They are not in the line of succession and are not always officers of the United States.

Former executive and Cabinet-level departments

Some important departments that used to be part of the U.S. Cabinet have changed over time. The Department of War was renamed and became part of the Department of Defense. The Department of the Navy also became part of the Department of Defense. The Post Office Department was reorganized into the United States Postal Service, which now operates separately. The National Military Establishment was later named the Department of Defense. During this time, the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force were also part of the Department of Defense.

Renamed heads of the executive departments

Some important jobs in the U.S. government have changed names over time.

The job of Secretary of Foreign Affairs started in 1781 and was later called Secretary of State in 1789. The Secretary of War began in 1789 and became the Secretary of the Army in 1947.

The Secretary of Commerce and Labor started in 1903 and became just the Secretary of Commerce in 1913. Finally, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare began in 1953 and was renamed Secretary of Health and Human Services in 1979 when education tasks went to a new Secretary of Education.

Positions intermittently elevated to Cabinet-rank

Some important jobs sometimes get to join the Cabinet. These include the Vice President, the Ambassador to the United Nations, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House Chief of Staff, among others. These positions have been part of the Cabinet at different times throughout history.

Other roles like the Counselor to the President, White House Counsel, United States Trade Representative, and many more have also been included in the Cabinet during certain years. Each of these roles helps advise the president in different ways.

Proposed Cabinet departments

Many people have suggested new departments to join the Cabinet of the United States. Some ideas include a Department of Industry and Commerce, suggested by a treasury secretary in 1881. Others include a Department of Natural Resources, proposed by several leaders over time. There have also been proposals for a Department of Peace, a Department of Social Welfare, and a Department of Public Works, among others.

Some recent suggestions include a Department of Business, a Department of Education and the Workforce, and a Department of Technology. These ideas aim to group related jobs and tasks together to make government work better.