United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the department
Incumbent Todd B. Hunter since January 20, 2025
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Member of	United States Cabinet
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President of the United States with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	38 U.S.C. § 303
Formation	March 15, 1989
First holder	Ed Derwinski
Succession	Seventeenth
Deputy	United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Salary	Executive Schedule, level I

The United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet and second to last at seventeenth in the line of succession to the presidency (the position was last until the addition of the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2006). Until the appointment of David Shulkin in 2017, all appointees and acting appointees to the post were United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.

When the post of secretary is vacant, the deputy secretary or any other person designated by the president serves as acting secretary until the president nominates and the United States Senate confirms a new secretary.

Todd B. Hunter is the current acting secretary.

List of secretaries of veterans affairs

Parties

      No party (2)       Democratic (3)       Republican (6)

Status

     Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs

No.	Secretary			Term of office			President(s)
	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	Term length
1		Derwinski, EdEd Derwinski	Illinois	March 15, 1989	September 26, 1992	3 years, 195 days		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
–		Principi, AnthonyAnthony Principi Acting	California	September 26, 1992	January 20, 1993	116 days
2		Brown, JesseJesse Brown	Illinois	January 22, 1993	July 13, 1997	4 years, 172 days		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
–		Gober, Hershel W.Hershel W. Gober Acting	Arkansas	July 13, 1997	January 2, 1998	173 days
3		West Jr., Togo D.Togo D. West Jr.	District of Columbia	January 2, 1998	May 4, 1998	122 days
				May 4, 1998	July 25, 2000	2 years, 82 days
–		Gober, Hershel W.Hershel W. Gober Acting	Arkansas	July 25, 2000	January 20, 2001	179 days
4		Principi, AnthonyAnthony Principi	California	January 23, 2001	January 26, 2005	4 years, 3 days		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
5		Nicholson, JimJim Nicholson	Colorado	January 26, 2005	October 1, 2007	2 years, 248 days
–		Mansfield, Gordon H.Gordon H. Mansfield Acting	Florida	October 1, 2007	December 20, 2007	80 days
6		Peake, JamesJames Peake	District of Columbia	December 20, 2007	January 20, 2009	1 year, 31 days
7		Shinseki, EricEric Shinseki	Hawaii	January 20, 2009	May 30, 2014	5 years, 130 days		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
–		Gibson, Sloan D.Sloan D. Gibson Acting	Alabama	May 30, 2014	July 30, 2014	61 days
8		McDonald, BobBob McDonald	Ohio	July 30, 2014	January 20, 2017	2 years, 174 days
–		Snyder, RobertRobert Snyder Acting	West Virginia	January 20, 2017	February 14, 2017	25 days		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
9		Shulkin, DavidDavid Shulkin	Pennsylvania	February 14, 2017	March 28, 2018	1 year, 42 days
–		Wilkie, RobertRobert Wilkie Acting	North Carolina	March 28, 2018	May 29, 2018	62 days
–		O'Rourke, PeterPeter O'Rourke Acting	Virginia	May 29, 2018	July 30, 2018	62 days
10		Wilkie, RobertRobert Wilkie	North Carolina	July 30, 2018	January 20, 2021	2 years, 174 days
–		Tran, DatDat Tran Acting	Ohio	January 20, 2021	February 9, 2021	20 days		Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
11		McDonough, DenisDenis McDonough	Minnesota	February 9, 2021	January 20, 2025	3 years, 346 days
–		Hunter, Todd B.Todd B. Hunter Acting		January 20, 2025	Incumbent	13 days		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)

Anthony Principi served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs September 26, 1992 – January 20, 1993.

Hershel W. Gober served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs July 13, 1997 – January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000 – January 20, 2001.

West served as Acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 to May 4, 1998.

Gordon H. Mansfield served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs October 1 – December 20, 2007.

See also

In Spanish: Secretario de Asuntos de los Veteranos de los Estados Unidos para niños

• Administrator of Veterans Affairs
• Veterans Health Administration