United States Secretary of Homeland Security

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new department consisted primarily of components transferred from other cabinet departments because of their role in homeland security, such as the Coast Guard, Federal Protective Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (which includes the Border Patrol), Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It did not, however, include the FBI or the CIA.^[1]

On January 20, 2009, the Senate confirmed Barack Obama's appointment of Janet Napolitano to be the third Secretary of Homeland Security.^[2] To assure a smooth transition however, Michael Chertoff was asked not to resign until the morning of January 21, 2009.^[3]

Inclusion in the presidential line of succession

Traditionally, the order of the presidential line of succession is determined (after the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate) by the order of the creation of the cabinet positions, and is mandated as such under 3 U.S.C. § 19.

On March 9, 2006, President Bush signed H.R. 3199 as Pub.L. 109-177, which renewed the Patriot Act and amended the Presidential Succession Act to include the Secretary of Homeland Security in the line of succession after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (§ 503). In the 109th Congress, legislation was introduced to place the Secretary of Homeland Security into the line of succession after the Attorney General but that bill expired at the end of the 109th Congress and has not been re-introduced.

List of Secretaries of Homeland Security

Prior to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, there existed an Assistant to the President for the Office of Homeland Security, which was created following the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

Status

Living former Secretaries of Homeland Security

As of January 2009^[update], two regular and one acting former Secretaries of Homeland Security were alive, the oldest being James Loy (2005 (acting); born 1942).

Order of succession

The order of succession for the Secretary of Homeland Security is as follows:^[4]

1. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
2. Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs
3. Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management
4. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Policy (acting as Under Secretary-equivalent)
5. Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology
6. General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security
7. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration)
8. Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
9. Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection
10. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement
11. Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services
12. Chief Financial Officer
13. Regional Administrator, Region V, Federal Emergency Management Agency
14. Regional Administrator, Region VI, Federal Emergency Management Agency
15. Regional Administrator, Region VII, Federal Emergency Management Agency
16. Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal Emergency Management Agency
17. Regional Administrator, Region I, Federal Emergency Management Agency

References

1. ^ Homeland Security Act, Pub.L. 107-296
2. ^ Murray, Shailagh; Kane, Paul (January 21, 2009). "Obama Picks Confirmed, But Clinton Is on Hold". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003605.html. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 
3. ^ Chertoff: Inauguration security forces 'ready' - CNN.com
4. ^ "Executive Order 13442: Amending the Order of Succession in the Department of Homeland Security". http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-4023.pdf. Retrieved 2009-01-29.