Probably deriving from the French term cabine meaning "small, private room," the U.S. President's Cabinet is a sophisticated group of close advisers, including the Vice President and the secretaries of 15 executive departments. One of the main purposes of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.
One of the major duties that President-elect Barack Obama will undertake before assuming office in January is naming members to his Cabinet. On Nov. 6, U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., accepted Obama's offer to become the White House Chief of Staff, making him the first named Cabinet member under Obama's administration. Emanuel's position is one of six to have cabinet-level rank, which entitles them to attend Cabinet meetings without being secretaries of executive departments.
Click on the links below to find out more about the history and duties of the Cabinet, and information on President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet.
About the Cabinet
Official site of the U.S. Cabinet, complete with comprehensive history and a virtual tour.
The current Cabinet.View President Bush's Cabinet.
Find out who held which secretary position throughout the history of the U.S. presidency with this in-depth list from the History Channel, starting with Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State under George Washington in 1789.
Browse this resource from POTUS to find out the secretaries serving under each U.S. President.
This guide makes it easy for anyone to understand how the Cabinet works.
About Obama's Cabinet
Chief of Staff
Learn about Rahm Emanuel by visiting his official page. Visit this page from SourceWatch for an in-depth profile and this profile feature from Fortune. Learn about Emanuel's voting records from the Washington Post and Project VoteSmart, or check out committee membership, congressional terms, bill sponsorship and co-sponsorship at Govtrack.us.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
On Nov. 19, national media reported that Obama nominated former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to the position of Health and Human Services Secretary. Daschle reportedly accepted the nomination and will take on the task of overhauling the country's health care and insurance system under the role. The position is one of 15 that requires majority approval from the Senate.
Read this speculative list of who the top experts think might make it into Obama's Cabinet, based on reporting from Politico and The Associated Press.
What does it take to have a top position in Obama's administration, anyway? Read this article from The New York Times or check out this official questionnaire that all prospective Obama Cabinet members are reportedly being required to complete.
-->
|
|
|