United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs holds a critical cabinet position responsible for overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which serves the healthcare and benefit needs of American veterans and their families. Established in 1989, this role was created to enhance the support offered to the approximately 18.1 million veterans in the country. The VA consists of three main agencies: the Veterans Health Administration, which manages healthcare services; the Veterans Benefits Administration, providing financial and educational assistance; and the National Cemetery Administration, responsible for national cemeteries. Historically, the roots of veteran support date back to the Revolutionary War, evolving significantly through subsequent conflicts, including the Civil War and World War II.
As of 2023, the VA employs around 450,000 staff members and served over 9 million veterans in 2022. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is nominated by the President and holds a notable position in the presidential line of succession, ranked seventeenth out of eighteen cabinet members. This role is crucial in ensuring that the sacrifices of veterans are recognized and that they receive appropriate care and resources.
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United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The United States secretary of veterans affairs is a US presidential cabinet position tasked with overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The agency is responsible for providing American veterans and their families with healthcare services, benefits, and access to national cemeteries. The predecessors of the VA have been serving veterans since the time of the Revolutionary War (1775–1783); however, the agency was only elevated to cabinet status in 1989. The secretary of veterans affairs is in charge of one of the largest federal agencies, with a 2023 workforce of 450,000. In 2022, the VA served more than 9 million of the estimated 18.1 million American veterans.
Overview
Even before the United States was born, British colonial governments often provided some form of pension to disabled soldiers. The fledgling American government and individual states continued that practice during the Revolutionary War. In the nineteenth century, the United States authorized the first medical facilities for veterans and expanded benefits to include some family members. The number of federal programs and agencies geared toward serving veterans grew after the American Civil War (1861–1865) and World War I (1914–1918). In 1930, President Herbert Hoover consolidated these elements under a new federal agency—the Veterans Administration.
The Veterans Administration continued to evolve to accommodate American soldiers after World War II (1939–1945) and the wars in Korea (1950–1953) and Vietnam (1955–1975). During this time, the administration grew to surpass all federal agencies in size except for the Department of Defense. By the late 1980s, opinion was growing in Washington to make the agency a cabinet position. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a law making the Veterans Administration a department of the cabinet. The law took effect in 1989, and the agency’s name was officially changed to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Edward J. Derwinski, who was head of the Veterans Administration at the time, was named the first secretary of veterans affairs. The secretary is in charge of three main agencies that fall under the VA: the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration.
The Veterans Health Administration is responsible for running the VA’s health care program. The program is administered at numerous VA medical centers, clinics, and nursing homes throughout the United States. In 2018, the VA operated about 144 medical centers and 1,234 outpatient centers. The Veterans Benefits Administration provides financial and other types of assistance to active military personnel, veterans, and their families. These benefits include pensions, disability compensation, insurance, education funding, vocational and employment training, and loan services. The National Cemetery Administration oversees 136 of the more than 145 national cemeteries in the United States. Others, such as Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, are maintained by the US Army or the Department of the Interior.
Candidates for secretary of veterans affairs are nominated by the president. As a member of the cabinet, the VA secretary is part of the line of succession for the presidency. The secretary of veterans affairs is seventeenth out of eighteen, placing behind the secretary of education and ahead of the secretary of homeland security. If the VA secretary leaves office, the deputy secretary of veterans affairs can take over the position, or a new candidate can be chosen by the president.
Bibliography
“About VA.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 11 Apr. 2018, www.va.gov/landing2‗about.htm. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
Chandler, David. “Duties of the Secretary of Veteran Affairs.” Classroom, 29 Sept. 2017, classroom.synonym.com/duties-of-the-secretary-of-veteran-affairs-12080438.html. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
“Department of Veterans Affairs Fast Facts.” CNN, 20 Sept. 2018, www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/department-of-veterans-affairs-fast-facts/index.html. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
Shane, Leo III. "Nearly 450,000 Staff and Growing—Just How Large Will the VA Get?" Federal Times, 8 Nov. 2023, https://www.federaltimes.com/management/leadership/2023/11/08/nearly-450000-staff-and-growing-just-how-large-will-va-get/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
“Succession: Presidential and Vice Presidential Fast Facts.” CNN, 19 Sept. 2018, www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/us/succession-presidential-and-vice-presidential-fast-facts/index.html. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
“U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.” USA.gov, www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
“U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: A History.” Virginia Commonwealth University, 6 Apr. 2017, socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/federal/u-s-department-of-veteran-affairs/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
“VA Benefits & Health Care Utilization.” US Department of Veterans Affairs, 18 July 2018, www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/pocketcards/fy2018q4.PDF. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
“VA History in Brief.” US Department of Veterans Affairs, www.va.gov/opa/publications/archives/docs/history‗in‗brief.pdf. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.