Who is barack obamas cabinet members

He was confirmed after a fierce partisan fight. Holder is keeping his options open but decided to stay on for the time being in Obama's Cabinet. Holder was appointed in after serving as a judge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and as a U.

He is the first African-American to hold the top post at the Justice Department. Holder has been a staunch proponent of the legal rights of the president during the war on terrorism, defending the legality of the operation that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and the drone strike that killed U. The Justice Department must decide whether to seek the death penalty in the Boston Marathon bombing prosecution.

Jewell was president and chief executive of REI, a popular outdoor recreation company. An engineer who started her career at Mobil, Jewell has a long history of involvement in the administration's environmental efforts. She helped create and implement the president's Great Outdoors program.

Jewell replaced former Sen. Ken Salazar, who served in the post during Obama's first term, leading the administration's management of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in Jewell was easily confirmed.

Vilsack decided to stay on for now. A former two-term Iowa governor, he has committed his time to a variety of issues from food stamps to resource conservation to first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative.

Vilsack also spent considerable time pushing Congress to approve long-term farm legislation. Vilsack was considered a possible Democratic Senate candidate in , but said in February he would not run. But there are some who want him to run again for governor.

Obama nominated Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker to serve as his commerce secretary on May 2. Pritzker is chief executive of the Pritzker Realty Group and is one of the wealthiest women in America. She is a major Democratic donor who was national finance chair of Obama's campaign and was a campaign co-chair in The agency has been without a full-time head since John Bryson resigned last June. Obama has nominated Thomas Perez, the assistant attorney general for civil rights.

His nomination sparked immediate pushback from Republicans. At the Justice Department, he investigated cases at the center of controversy, including a probe into the law enforcement tactics of Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. If confirmed, he will replace Hilda Solis, the nation's first Latina Cabinet member. His confirmation has been delayed and is due to come up in May. Learn more about the President's cabinet. The Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the U. Former Iowa Gov.

Tom Vilsack is the choice for secretary of agriculture in the Obama administration. Goals of the Department of Agriculture: to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, to promote agricultural trade and production, to assure food safety, to protect natural resources not protected by the Interior Department , to foster rural communities and to end hunger in America and abroad. Vilsack was briefly a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination; he dropped out before the primary season and endorsed Sen.

Hillary Clinton D-NY. Vilsack endorsed Obama after he defeated Clinton. The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government and is the head of the U. Department of Justice. The Attorney General is a member of the Cabinet, but the only member whose title is not "Secretary. In , he stepped down from the bench to serve as U. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Holder was involved in a controversial 11th-hour pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive and Democratic contributor.

He has worked as a corporate attorney since Holder was questioned regarding implementing the Second Amendment; he joined an amicus curiae friend of the court brief in the Supreme Court review of D.

Heller, urging the Court to uphold the Washington, D. The Court affirmed the lower court ruling that the D. The Secretary of Commerce is the head of the U. Department of Commerce, which focuses on fostering economic growth and prosperity.

Former Washington state Gov. President Obama's second choice, Sen. Judd Gregg R-NH , withdrew his name on 12 February , citing "irresolvable conflicts," after the White House announced it would be co-running the Census Bureau, a significant part of the Commerce Department. Census data drives Congressional realignment every 10 years.

Democrats and Republicans differ on how to count the nation's population. The statistics are instrumental in "population-driven financing formulas," which are expected to shift billions in federal spending. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was the first nominee for secretary of commerce in the Obama administration.

He withdrew his name from consideration on 4 January because of an ongoing federal investigation into the possible link between political donations and a lucrative state contract. Department of Defense DoD , focused on armed services and the military. If confirmed, Gates will be one a handful of people to hold a Cabinet-level position under two Presidents of different parties. Gates, the 22nd U. Secretary of Defense, assumed office on 18 December after bi-partisan confirmation support. Bush White House from 20 January until 6 November The Secretary of Defense is the principal defense policy advisor to the President.

By statute 10 U. The Secretary of Defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession. The Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education, the smallest cabinet-level department. He is a Hyde Park native and Harvard College graduate. His appointment came on the heels of the Annenberg Challenge and K Reform through He faces the challenges resulting from No Child Left Behind. Steven Chu is an experimental physicist. The Administrator of the EPA oversees regulation of chemicals and protects human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land.

Lisa P. Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the U. Department of Homeland Security, the agency charged with protecting the safety of American citizens. The Department of Homeland Security was created after the terrorist attacks of September 11, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano heads the Department of Homeland Security.

Mara Rudman, a senior adviser on national security affairs in the Obama and Clinton administrations, said the tug back to government of her former colleagues reflects an acknowledgement of the enormity of the public health and economic crises.

Sections U. Science Technology Business U. Obama reunion? Biden fills Cabinet with former WH leaders. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news.