United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

Official Seal
Incumbent
Kathleen Sebelius
since April 28, 2009
Formation August 3, 1979
First holder Patricia Roberts Harris
Succession 12th
Website www.hhs.gov

The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The office was formerly Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

In 1979, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions transferred to the new Department of Education. Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed.

Nominations to the office of Secretary of HHS are referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act the role of the Secretary has been greatly expanded.[1][2]

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services by the United States Senate on April 29, 2009.[3]

Contents

Duties

The duties of the secretary revolve around human conditions and concerns in the United States. This includes advising the President on matters of health, welfare, and income security programs. It strives to administer the department of Health and Human Services to carry out approved programs and make the public aware of the objectives of the department.[4]

After the attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks, the position has held a unique significance in the War on Terrorism. Upon his departure, then-Secretary Tommy Thompson remarked "I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do..." Scholars concur, arguing that an attack on food (particularly milk) could affect approximately 100,000 people.[5]

List of Secretaries

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare
No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President(s)
1 Oveta Culp Hobby Texas April 11, 1953 July 31, 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower
2 Marion B. Folsom New York August 2, 1955 July 31, 1958
3 Arthur S. Flemming Ohio August 1, 1958 January 19, 1961
4 Abraham A. Ribicoff Connecticut January 21, 1961 July 13, 1962 John F. Kennedy
5 Anthony J. Celebrezze Ohio July 31, 1962 August 17, 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson
6 John W. Gardner California August 18, 1965 March 1, 1968
7 Wilbur J. Cohen Wisconsin May 16, 1968 January 20, 1969
8 Robert Finch California January 21, 1969 June 23, 1970 Richard Nixon
9 Elliot Richardson Massachusetts June 24, 1970 January 29, 1973
10 Caspar Weinberger California February 12, 1973 August 8, 1975
Gerald Ford
11 F. David Mathews Alabama August 8, 1975 January 20, 1977
12 Joseph A. Califano, Jr. New York January 25, 1977 August 3, 1979 Jimmy Carter
13 Patricia R. Harris Illinois August 3, 1979 May 4, 1980[6]

Secretaries of Health and Human Services
No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President(s)
13 Patricia R. Harris Illinois May 4, 1980[6] January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
14 Richard Schweiker Pennsylvania January 22, 1981 February 3, 1983 Ronald Reagan
15 Margaret Heckler Massachusetts March 9, 1983 December 13, 1985
16 Otis R. Bowen Indiana December 13, 1985 January 20, 1989
17 Louis W. Sullivan Georgia March 1, 1989 January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush
18 Donna Shalala Ohio January 22, 1993 January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton
19 Tommy Thompson Wisconsin February 2, 2001 January 26, 2005 George W. Bush
20 Mike Leavitt Utah January 26, 2005 January 20, 2009
21 Kathleen Sebelius Kansas April 28, 2009 Incumbent Barack Obama

Living former secretaries

Health, Education, and Welfare

Health and Human Services

References

  1. ^ http://www.ropesgray.com/healthcarefraudabuse/
  2. ^ Leavitt, Michael O. (February 18, 2011). "Health reform's central flaw: Too much power in one office". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/17/AR2011021705824.html. 
  3. ^ United States Department of Health and Human Services-Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
  4. ^ "The President's Cabinet". Ben's Guide. 2007-02-01. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/government/national/cabinet.html. Retrieved 2007-11-15. 
  5. ^ Cox, Simon (2006-08-22). "US food supply 'vulnerable to attack'". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5274022.stm. Retrieved 2007-11-15. 
  6. ^ a b Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.

External links

United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Secretary of Labor		 12th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Health and Human Services · Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretariate staff offices
Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services · Office of the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services · Office of Inspector General
Organizations under the
Assistant Secretary for Health
Programs

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Past department leaders: Commerce and Labor • Health, Education, and Welfare • Navy • Post Office • War