History of The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. One of the principal purposes of the Cabinet (drawn from Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution) is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.
George Washington s First Cabinet Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson Secretary of Treasury-- Alexander Hamilton Secretary of War General Henry Knox Attorney-General Edmund Randolph Postmaster General-- Samuel Osgood
Obama s First Cabinet Meeting
Appointment to.. The President nominates and the Senate must confirm the nominee. President will usually reward loyal party members and may often select 1 position from the opposition party. Multiculturalism is often taken into consideration.
Advises President on foreign policy. State 1789 Negotiates treaties with foreign countries. Office of Passport Services. Thomas Jefferson - 1 st Secretary of State today is John Kerry.
Treasury 1789 Produces coins and bills; collects taxes Enforces alcohol, tobacco and firearms laws. Borrows money. IRS and United States Mint. Alexander Hamilton - 1 st Secretary of Treasury today is Jacob Lew.
Defense 1947 Provides military forces to deter war and protect the nation s security. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Departments of Navy, Army and Air Force. Henry Knox 1 st. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.
Justice 1789 Prosecutes those accused of violating federal law. Provides legal advice for President Represents US in court FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals. Edmond Randolph 1 st. Attorney General Loretta Lynch
Interior 1849 Manages public lands, wildlife refuges, and national parks. Helps Native Americans manage their affairs. US Fish and Wildlife Service. National park Service. Thomas Ewing - 1 st Secretary of Interior today is Sally Jewell.
Agriculture 1889 Manages national forests. Inspects food. Administers food stamp and school lunch programs. Food and Nutrition Service. Norm Coleman- 1 st Secretary of Agriculture today is Tom Vilsack.
Conducts Census. Commerce 1903 Grants patents and registers trademarks. Bureau of the Census. International Trade Administration. William C. Redfield - 1 st Secretary of Commerce today is Penny Pritzker.
Labor 1913 Enforces federal law on minimum wages, maximum hours, and safe working conditions. OSHA, Bureau of Labor Statistics. William B. Wilson - 1 st Secretary of Labor today is Thomas Perez.
Health and Human Services 1953 Funds health care research programs. Enforces pure food and drug act. Medicare and Medicaid. Food and Drug Admin and CDC. Patricia Harris - 1 st Secretary of HHS today is Sylvia Matthews Burwell.
Housing and Urban Development - 1965 Operates home financing and public housing programs. Enforces fair housing laws. Office of Housing. Robert C. Weaver- 1 st Secretary of Housing today is Shaun Donovan.
Transportation 1967 Administers programs to promote and regulate highways, mass transit, railroads and air travel. Federal Highway and Aviation Administration. Alan S. Boyd - 1 st Secretary of Transportation today is Ray LaHood.
Energy 1977 Promotes production of renewable energy, fossil fuels, and nuclear energy. Conducts nuclear weapons research and production. James R. Schlesinger - 1 st Secretary of Energy today is Steven Chu.
Education 1979 Administers federal aid to schools and conducts educational research. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Shirley Hufstedler - 1 st Secretary of Education today is Arne Duncan.
Veterans Affairs 1989 Ad ministries benefits, pensions, and medical programs for veterans. Veteran Benefits Admin. National Cemetery Admin. Edward J. Derwinski - 1 st Secretary of Veterans Affairs today is Eric K. Shinseki.
Homeland Security 2002 Border and transportation security. Emergency preparedness and response. Coast Guard, TSA, and immigration services. Tom Ridge 1 st Secretary of Homeland Security today is Jeh Johnson